Diplomats reported on Tuesday that at least 550 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, highlighting the severe conditions exacerbated by extreme heat. Among the deceased, 323 were Egyptians, primarily succumbing to heat-related illnesses, according to two Arab diplomats quoted by the AFP.
“All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat,” stated one diplomat, except for one who was fatally injured during a minor crowd crush. The total death count for Egyptians was confirmed based on records from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca.
Additionally, the number of Jordanian deaths rose to at least 60, an increase from the 41 officially reported earlier by Amman. The cumulative fatalities, as reported by multiple countries, now stand at 577. The Al-Muaisem morgue, one of Mecca’s largest, reported a total of 550 bodies.
The Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, requires all Muslims with the means to undertake it at least once in their lifetime. However, the pilgrimage faces growing challenges from climate change. A recent Saudi study revealed that temperatures in the ritual areas are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade. On Monday, temperatures at the Grand Mosque in Mecca soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 Fahrenheit), according to the Saudi national meteorology centre.
Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt’s foreign ministry announced ongoing collaborations with Saudi authorities to locate Egyptians who went missing during the Hajj. While acknowledging several deaths, the ministry did not specify if Egyptians were among them.
Saudi authorities reported treating over 2,000 pilgrims for heat stress but have not updated this figure since Sunday nor provided fatality data. Last year, 240 pilgrims, mostly Indonesians, were reported dead during the Hajj.
Saudi officials advised using umbrellas, staying hydrated, and avoiding sun exposure during peak heat. Despite these precautions, many Hajj rituals, including the Mount Arafat prayers, require prolonged outdoor presence during daytime.
Some pilgrims described seeing motionless bodies by the roadside and at times, overwhelmed ambulance services. This year, around 1.8 million pilgrims participated in the Hajj, with 1.6 million coming from abroad, according to Saudi authorities.
The influx of unregistered pilgrims, who often bypass official, costly Hajj visa procedures, exacerbates the challenges. These individuals, unable to access air-conditioned facilities, face heightened risks. An Egyptian official supervising the country’s Hajj mission noted that the unregistered pilgrims significantly strained resources, leading to service collapses and prolonged exposure to harsh conditions.
Earlier this month, Saudi officials cleared hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca in preparation for the Hajj. Other countries reporting deaths include Indonesia, Iran, and Senegal, though most have not detailed how many were heat-related.
Despite these challenges, Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel asserted on Tuesday that health plans for the Hajj were effectively executed, preventing major disease outbreaks and other public health threats, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Health officials provided virtual consultations to over 5,800 pilgrims, mainly for heat-related issues, facilitating timely interventions and reducing potential case surges, SPA reported.
