Saudi authorities have announced that over 1,300 individuals have lost their lives during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The extreme high temperatures experienced at the Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom proved to be a significant challenge for the faithful.

According to Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, a staggering 83% of the fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who endured long journeys in scorching temperatures to partake in the Hajj rituals in and around the holy city of Mecca.

Al-Jalajel further revealed that 95 pilgrims are currently receiving medical treatment, with some being airlifted to Riyadh for further care.

The identification process has been delayed due to the absence of identification documents for many of the deceased pilgrims. The deceased have been laid to rest in Mecca, although a detailed breakdown has not been provided.

Among the fatalities, over 660 were Egyptians, with only 31 of them being authorized pilgrims. Egyptian authorities have taken action by revoking the licenses of 16 travel agencies that facilitated the travel of unauthorized pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.