By Xinhua
Jakarta : The Indonesian government said Wednesday some 219 pilgrims from the country on way to Mecca and other holy places of Saudi Arabia have died since the annual haj pilgrimage began Nov 19.
Most of the deaths took place after the annual ritual at the Arafat and Mina deserts started last week. The high number of casualty has become a major concern for the government, Jakarta said.
Within a week, the death roll increased from 99 to 219, according to a statement from the Indonesian ministry for religious affairs.
Minister for Religious Affairs Maftuh Basyuni called on the pilgrims to give priority to their health and refrain from any physical rituals if they are not fit enough to perform, the statement said.
For Indonesian pilgrims, “the temperature in Saudi Arabia is now extremely cold,” it said.
More than 200,000 pilgrims, mostly elderly people, from Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, are visiting Saudi Arabia this year.
The haj pilgrimage is an obligation for any Muslim who can afford the cost and is physically fit to undertake the rigours of travel.