Egypt Cracks Down on Several Tourism Firms After Pilgrim Deaths

Egypt’s government revoked the licenses of 16 tourism agencies for organizing unauthorized pilgrimages that led to the deaths of several Egyptian pilgrims, a Cabinet Facebook statement published on 22 June reads.

The statement, which came after an emergency ministerial meeting to address the matter, added that the companies’ managers are to be referred to the public prosecution on charges of fraud.

The decision comes in light of recent media reports that almost 700 Egyptians, participating without official permits, had died during the hajj in Saudi Arabia – an annual five-day religious pilgrimage held since the seventh century.

The cause of death is attributed to a scorching heatwave that coincided with the event, with temperatures reaching 52 degrees Celsius at times.

An additional 700 Egyptians are still missing according to the reports.

In comparison, the Cabinet highlighted that 50,000 Egyptians were granted permits, with 31 dying due to “chronic illnesses”.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and emphasized the government’s commitment to providing support.

He stressed the need for immediate action against entities facilitating unauthorized pilgrimages and implementing measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry highlighted that most of the deceased – informal pilgrims – suffered due to a lack of proper services provided by the travel agencies in question.

The government urged citizens to use official pilgrimage channels to ensure safety and proper support.

Families of missing pilgrims are advised to contact emergency hotlines shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which includes the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah (+966565702002) and the Consular Sector of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (27923050, 27923060, 27942782, 01006638814).

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