Egypt cracks down on tourism companies after death of 530 pilgrims in Mecca

The agencies are being blamed for sending pilgrims to Saudi on personal visit visas, rather than haj visas that allow access to Mecca where haj rituals take place.

Reuters reports that Egypt withdrew the operating licenses of 16 tourism companies and referred them to the public prosecutor, accusing them of being responsible for the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims in Mecca, a crisis unit tasked with addressing the situation said on Saturday.

Medical and security sources say at least 530 Egyptians died during this year's haj pilgrimage to Mecca, while the statement from the unit, formed on Thursday and headed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, said 31 deaths were confirmed as a result of chronic illness.

The agencies are being blamed for sending pilgrims to Saudi on personal visit visas, rather than haj visas that allow access to Mecca where haj rituals take place.

Egyptian authorities also say those travel agencies did not provide the pilgrims with "appropriate accommodation," adding that this caused pilgrims' "exhaustion due to the high temperatures."