The Foreign Office is sending additional staff to Saudi Arabia following the deaths of more than 700 people in a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage.
As the death toll continues to rise, the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said staff remain in close contact with the Saudi authorities and tour operators, and are checking hospitals and other locations to urgently gather information about British nationals who may require assistance.
"We are also deploying further staff from the region to bolster our response," he said.
"I was saddened to hear of the enormous loss of life in Mecca. My thoughts are with families and victims at this difficult time. Such a significant tragedy will affect Muslims across the world who take part in the Hajj pilgrimage."
The stampede happened as two million pilgrims were taking part in the last major rite of the Hajj near the Islamic holy city of Mecca. Around 25,000 Muslims travelled to Saudi Arabia from Britain.
The crush occurred during the ritual known as ‘stoning the devil’ in the tent city of Mina, about two miles from Mecca.
As well as the 717 confirmed dead, more than 800 others were injured when two large groups of pilgrims converged from different directions on to one street.
The annnual Hajj pilgrimage has been plagued by tragedies despite attempts by Saudi authorities to improve safety.
In 1990, 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede in a tunnel leading to the holy sites and 270 died in a stampede four years later.
In 1997, 340 pilgrims were killed when fire fuelled by high winds swept through Mina’s tent city and in 2006 another stampede killed 364.
Earlier this month, 109 people were killed when a crane collapsed at the Holy Mosque in Makkah during preparations for the event.
