During the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj to Mecca, a total of ninety-eight Indians lost their lives, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement on Friday.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the total number of Indian deaths during the entire Hajj period last year was 187.
"This year, 1,75000 Indian pilgrims visited Mecca for Hajj. The Hajj period is from May 9 to July 22. This year, till now, 98 deaths have been reported," he said.
"The deaths have been due to natural causes, chronic illnesses, and old age. Six people died on the day of Arafat, and four were accident-related deaths," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
The MEA spokesperson was responding to a question on the deaths of Indians during Hajj.