Over 1000 dead during Hajj in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca due to heatwave: Report
According to AFP, around 1,000 pilgrims perished this year while performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca due to the extreme heat. Thousands are also being hospitalized for heatstroke in Mecca, where temperatures reached 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Unregistered pilgrims accounted for more than half of the deaths. An Arab ambassador estimates that approximately 658 Egyptian pilgrims have died. Of these, 630 were unregistered pilgrims.
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According to sources, 90 of the victims were Indian. Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, and Tunisia have all reported pilgrim deaths.
Around ten countries have recorded 1,081 deaths during the yearly pilgrimage, which is one of Islam’s five pillars and must be completed by all Muslims who have the means. The data came from government announcements or diplomats working on their respective countries’ responses.
Maximum temperature of 51.8 degrees Celsius recorded at the Grand Mosque in Mecca this week
The hajj, which is timed according to the lunar Islamic calendar, took place again this year during the scorching Saudi summer.
Earlier this week, the national meteorological center reported a high temperature of 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca’s Grand Mosque.
According to a Saudi research published last month, temperatures in the area are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade.
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Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims attempt to do the hajj through unofficial means because they cannot pay the often expensive legal visas.
Saudi authorities reported expelling hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca earlier this month, but it appears that more continue to participate in the main ceremonies, which began last Friday.
This group was more vulnerable to the heat because, without official permits, they could not access air-conditioned spaces provided by Saudi authorities for the 1.8 million authorised pilgrims to cool down after hours of walking and praying outside.
“People were tired after being chased by security forces before Arafat day. They were exhausted,” one Arab diplomat told AFP on Thursday, referring to Saturday’s day-long outdoor prayers that marked the hajj’s climax.
The diplomat stated that the heat was the leading cause of mortality among Egyptian pilgrims, triggering problems such as high blood pressure and other concerns.
In addition to Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region have acknowledged casualties, though officials have often not defined the cause.
