Religious affairs minister Na’aim Mokhtar said the eighth case was a woman who died at 4.30pm on Saturday while walking back to her accommodation.

“The late Sabina Jalil, 66, from Sungai Buloh, Selangor, performed the haj with a friend and died due to a heart attack,” he told the media after visiting the Tabung Haji (TH) treatment centre in Mina near here last night.

The sixth and seventh pilgrims who died were Baharuddin Shood, 75, from Jengka, Pahang, and Abd Manaf Hanapiah, 65, from Alor Setar, Kedah. They died on June 11 and June 13 respectively.

Baharuddin died of intestinal cancer at the TH treatment centre in Mecca, while Manaf died of a heart attack while receiving treatment at the Mecca Medical Centre.

Meanwhile, Na’im said the patients being treated at the TH treatment centre in Mecca were those involved in the Wukuf Safari programme on Saturday and were brought to Arafat by TH staff using a modified bus.

He added that many of them are suffering from heart problems, in addition to health issues related to breathing difficulties.

The TH treatment centre in Mecca has 187 beds, complete with medical equipment, X-ray and dentistry services, emergency wards and 17 ambulances, serving Malaysian pilgrims staying at 12 buildings here.