Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed late Friday that eight Pakistani pilgrims had died and six others were injured in the Mecca hotel fire incident, Arab News reported.
It said the Pakistani mission in Jeddah was in contact with Saudi authorities to provide relief to the victims’ families.
“The prime minister of Pakistan has directed the religious affairs ministry to ensure the provision of the best treatment to the injured and all-possible assistance to relatives of the deceased,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.
Last year, around 200,000 pilgrims from Pakistan performed Umrah until October 4, 2022, since the beginning of the Umrah season on July 30, 2022. That was the second-highest number of pilgrims after Indonesia.
AMK/PR