News Desk
Hundreds of people have died and thousands have been treated for heatstroke while performing the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca amid extreme temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
CNN Indonesia reported that the Hajj Management Office of the Indonesian Consulate General in Saudi Arabia stated that around 165 Indonesians were among the deceased. Furthermore, officials in each of the three countries report that at least 41 Jordanians, 35 Tunisians, and 11 Iranians have passed away.
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, the Iranian Red Crescent announced on Wednesday that 26 Iranians had been admitted to hospitals and that an additional 22 Jordanians were missing.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, some of the Iranians who passed away had heatstroke, while others had preexisting medical issues.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia have not yet released official death toll figures, thus the number is probably going to increase. Moreover, additional pilgrims are thought to have died unregistered; governments only know about those who have registered and visited Mecca in order to fulfill their nation’s quota.
Over 2,700 individuals received treatment for heatstroke, according to a Monday announcement from the Saudi government. Numerous people have been posting on social media about their loved ones going missing in the meantime.
The Saudi General Authority for Statistics reports that over 1.8 million people are participating in this year’s Hajj, one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world.
Although pilgrim deaths are not unusual—more than 200 pilgrims died the year before—this year’s event is being held in unusually hot weather.
Every year, the Islamic calendar determines the Hajj season, which this year fell in June, one of the hottest months in the kingdom.
After temperatures rose to an extraordinary 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, Saudi Arabia warned pilgrims not to carry out the “stoning of the devil” ceremony within specific hours.
