The death toll among Egyptian pilgrims rose to 22, said Assistant Interior Minister and the executive chairman of the official hajj mission Sayed Maher.

Five pilgrims passed away on Arafat Mountain and Muzdalifah due to natural causes, Maher told MENA on Thursday, adding that they were from the governorates of Cairo, Assiut, Beni Sweif.

Four of the dead were buried in Mecca after taking the permission of their families, while one was still unidentified, he said.

Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and a religious duty that must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime.

Source: MENA