At least 98 Indian died due to old age, illness and other natural causes during this year’s Haj pilgrimage, which was marked by searing heat and intense high temperatures, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported on Friday.

Approximately 1,75,000 Indians undertook the Haj pilgrimage this year. The fatalities also include four individuals who were killed in an accident. “This year, we have 175,000 Indians who have already visited Hajj… So far, we have lost 98 of our citizens. These deaths have happened due to natural illness, natural causes, chronic illness, and old age,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “On the day of Arafat, six Indians died. Four Indians died due to accidents. Last year, the number of Indians who died during Hajj was 187…”

According to reports, around 10 countries have reported a total of 1,081 deaths during the pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means must perform at least once. The haj pilgrimage, whose timing is determined by the lunar Islamic calendar, occurred again at a time when Saudi Arabia is experiencing extensive heat.

The total figure includes 658 Egyptians, 183 Indonesians, 68 Jordanians, and 58 from Pakistan, AFP reported. Deaths have also been confirmed by Malaysia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, Sudan, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.

Many of those who died were unregistered worshippers who performed the pilgrimage in extreme heat. This group is more vulnerable as, without official permits, they cannot access air-conditioned spaces provided for authorized pilgrims. An Arab diplomat told AFP that the main cause of death among Egyptian pilgrims was the heat, which triggered complications related to high blood pressure and other health issues.

Egyptian officials have been visiting hospitals to obtain information and help Egyptian pilgrims receive medical care, according to a statement from the country’s foreign ministry on Thursday.