In Mecca, a Saudi city, the hajj is mourned by deadly heat: 577 pilgrims died.
Extreme temperatures have caused the death of several hundred worshipers currently on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The death toll due to extreme heat during the hajj, the great Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, increased on Tuesday June 18, 2024 with the announcement of 60 new victims by Jordan and 323 by Egypt. The total number of hajj deaths reported by countries now stands at 577, up from 240 last year, although most do not specify the exact number of cases linked to heat stress.
“All died because of the heat,” except for one pilgrim who died after being injured in a crowd,” one of the diplomats said, adding that the total figure came from the morgue of a hospital in the Al-Muaisem district of Mecca.
This annual rite, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, took place again this year in the middle of summer in one of the hottest regions in the world, with temperatures reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius in the city the holiest in Islam. Saudi authorities claimed to have treated more than 2,000 pilgrims suffering from heat stress, but did not provide information on the deaths.
The authorities have not communicated on the number of cases of hyperthermia this year. More than 10,000 cases were recorded last year, including 10% heatstroke, the most serious case, according to a Saudi official.
On Saturday, the pilgrims had spent the day praying and reciting the Koran at Mount Arafat, where temperatures reached 46 degrees Celsius, before sleeping under the stars in the Mouzdalifa plain, a few kilometers from Mina. Despite the high temperatures, the gathering around the hill where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his last sermon, the highlight of the pilgrimage, was held with great fervor. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It must be performed by all Muslims at least once in their life if they have the means.
Read also:
The United States grants $109 million for the deployment of the security mission in Haiti
