The Tunisian Embassy in the Saudi kingdom is monitoring with the local authorities the situation of the hajjis (pilgrims, in Arabic) of this North African country, says the text, broadcasted by the official news agency TAP.

The Tunisian president, Kais Saied, had dismissed his Minister of Religious Affairs, just a few hours before the announcement of the first toll of Tunisian nationals’ deaths. These fatalities occurred during the religious duties, apparently due to the effects of the heat.

The fifty or so Tunisians who died while visiting the holy places of Islam in the homeland of the Prophet Mohammed are part of the long list of 470 Muslim believers, from countries of the four corners of the globe, killed this year during the pilgrimage.

In addition, according to official Saudi statistics, another 2,700 persons were also treated for dizziness and other ailments caused by the heat, which reached 50 degrees Celsius in the kingdom this year.

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