A South Sudanese Muslim pilgrim has died after sustaining injuries in a stampede at Mecca in Saudi Arabia recently, a Muslim leader has said.

Ahmad Abdurrahman Dakobo was among more than 80 South Sudanese Islamic faithfuls who went to the holy city to take part in the annual gathering of the Hajj.

The Presidential Advisor on Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Juma Saeed, said Al-hajj Dakobo died on Monday in Khartoum where he had been flown to for treatment.

“He was moving alone during pilgrimage and he fell down and broke his leg. He was then transferred from Saudi Arabia to Sudan for treatment,” Sheikh Juma said.

He says the body of the deceased was flown to Juba on Friday morning.

The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the most holy city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims.

To complete one of the pillars of Islam, all Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetimes if they have the means to do so.

Saudi Arabia’s media says two million pilgrims arrived at the holy city Mecca for the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj this year – the largest of its kind in the world.

Last year, Iran authorities had barred from making the journey, following a stampede in 2015 that killed more than 2,400 pilgrims, including 464 Iranians.