Hajj: Egypt slaps sanctions on 16 travel agencies over deaths of Egyptian pilgrims

Egypt has revoked the licences of 16 travel agencies involved in arranging illegal trips for unregistered pilgrims following the reported deaths of hundreds of Egyptian pilgrims during the recent Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat.

Egyptian Prime Minister, Moustafa Madbouli, ordered the revocation of the tourism companies’ licences for their role in defrauding unregistered pilgrims.

Madbouly emphasised that their illegal actions contributed to the death of the Egyptian pilgrims.

In a statement, the cabinet stated that officials of these companies have been referred to public prosecution, and fines have been imposed on them to benefit the families of the deceased pilgrims on the orders of the Prime Minister.

The measures were announced following a meeting of a task force formed by President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi to address the crisis, investigate its causes, ensure accountability and prevent such incidents.

Medical and security sources revealed that at least 660 Egyptians died during the pilgrimage, while the task force confirmed 31 deaths were due to chronic illnesses.