Seventeen Turkish nationals died due to health problem while performing Hajj in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, semi-official Anatolia News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Officials of Directorate General of Religious Affairs were quoted as saying that the people died due to high blood pressure, heart failure or old age.

Turkey has already sent several health and transportation teams to Mecca and another holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia to help Turkish hajjis in their spiritual pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, Turkey has set up a hospital, four health centers and eight clinics in Mecca and a hospital, a health center and two clinics in Medina.

The number of Turkish hajjis, who went to the Muslim holy land of Mecca to make the spiritual pilgrimage known as the Hajj, reached 70,000 so far this year, Anatolia reported, adding that the number is expected to rise to 100,000 till Jan. 4, 2006.

Millions of Muslims from more than 70 countries journey to the holy city of Mecca each year to perform the Hajj which begins on the eighth day of the 12th month of the Islamic year.

Source: Xinhua