Temperatures over 50 degrees
Pilgrimage to Mecca: More than 900 dead due to heat during Hajj
Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine of Islam, in the Great Mosque of Mecca during the Hajj in the heat of the day – many protect themselves from the sun
© Saudi Press Agency / DPA
Muslims are supposed to make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives. But the Hajj is not without danger: people die again and again because of sudden mass panic or accidents. This year the extreme heat is becoming a danger.
More than 900 people have already died due to the extreme heat during the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. At least 600 pilgrims from Egypt alone have died due to the high temperatures of up to 51.8 degrees, an Arab diplomat told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. Many relatives are desperately searching hospitals for missing pilgrims and fearing the worst.
“All (newly confirmed) deaths are also due to the heat,” said the Arab diplomat. This means that at least 600 Egyptians have died. Another 800 pilgrims from Egypt are also missing.
Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Tunisia, Indonesia and Senegal have also reported deaths during the Hajj in recent days. An Asian diplomat also spoke of “around 68” Indian pilgrims who died. As AFP calculated based on information from various countries, 922 people have already died during the Hajj this year. Last year, more than 200 deaths were reported during the pilgrimage, most of them from Indonesia.
Over 50 degrees in the shade
Many of the deaths were due to the extreme heat, family members said on social media. Other families continued to search for missing relatives in Saudi hospitals. The Saudi Health Ministry told Reuters before the release of numerous reports of deaths on Monday that authorities had not detected any unusual deaths among Muslim pilgrims during the extremely high temperatures.
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Saudi state television reported that temperatures in the Grand Mosque in Mecca rose to 51.8 degrees Celsius in the shade on Monday. More than 2,700 pilgrims were treated for heat-related illnesses, the Health Ministry said. The pilgrimage began on Friday and ends on Wednesday. According to the Saudi Statistics Office, more than 1.8 million pilgrims are expected this year.
Hajj to Mecca is mandatory for Muslims
Over the past 30 years, hundreds of people have died in stampedes, tent fires and other accidents during the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for all Muslims to perform the religious rites that the Prophet Muhammad taught his followers 14 centuries ago.