CAIRO — Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly has ordered the revocation of licenses for 16 travel companies and the referral of their officials to the public prosecutor on charges of "fraudulently" facilitating the unauthorized travel of pilgrims.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Cabinet, these companies were preliminarily identified as having engaged in deceptive practices to send pilgrims to Hajj without proper authorization and failed to provide any services to the pilgrims.

The Prime Minister has mandated the withdrawal of these companies' licenses and the referral of responsible individuals to the public prosecutor. Additionally, the companies are to be fined for the benefit of the families of the pilgrims who died due to their actions.

Egypt formed a crisis cell to investigate following reports from medical and security sources that Egyptians had died during the Hajj pilgrimage, with others reported missing.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Tuesday that it is intensifying efforts to locate the missing Egyptian citizens in coordination with Saudi authorities.

Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson for the ministry, announced the establishment of an emergency room and operations center through the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah and the consular sector of the ministry to receive calls from Egyptians who have lost contact with their relatives. This center will also coordinate the repatriation of the deceased's bodies.

The statement also confirmed that the Egyptian Embassy in Riyadh is providing necessary support to Egyptian citizens by visiting hospitals and medical centers to ensure their well-being and confirm they are receiving the required medical care. — Agencies