Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on September 3, 2017, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP Photo)

CAIRO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Death toll of Egyptian pilgrims performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia's city of Mecca has risen to 78, said the Egyptian Health Ministry on Saturday.

Ranging from the age of 60-80, most of the dead pilgrims had suffered heart attacks and breathing failures, Head of Egypt's medical Hajj mission Ahmed al-Ansary said in a statement.

He pointed out their age was the main reason for health problems during the exhausting rituals.

Some 70,000 Egyptians joined the annual Hajj season in Mecca that has been concluded on Tuesday, which attracted more than 2.3 million pilgrims from all over the world.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and among the most important rituals for Muslims worldwide, as every Muslim must perform it at least once in a lifetime if affordable.