(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-26 19:52

JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government said Wednesday 219 Muslim pilgrims have died since the annual religious journey to holy places in Saudi Arabia began on November 19.

But the death toll has risen sharply since the rituals at the Arafah and Mina deserts started last week to become a major concern of the government.

Within the week, the death toll soared from 99 to 219, according to a statement from the Ministry for Religious Affairs.

In response to the sharp hike of the death toll, Minister for Religious Affairs Maftuh Basyuni called on the pilgrims to give priority to their health and refrain from any physical rituals if they are not fit enough to perform, the statement said.

For Indonesian pilgrims, "the temperature in Saudi Arabia is now extremely cold," it said.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, sends more than 200,000 pilgrims of mostly elderly people to Saudi this year. They departed in many batches from 11 cities across the huge archipelago.

The haj pilgrimage is an obligation for any Muslim who can afford the cost and is physically fit.