Jerusalem: Over 550 pilgrims died during the Hajj, diplomats said on Tuesday, highlighting the grueling nature of the pilgrimage, which once again took place in scorching temperatures this year. At least 323 of the deceased were Egyptians, with the majority succumbing to heat-related illnesses, according to two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries’ responses.
“All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, adding the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca.
The diplomats also reported that at least 60 Jordanians had died, an increase from the official count of 41 provided earlier on Tuesday by Amman.
These additional deaths raise the total reported so far by multiple countries to 577, according to an international news agency tally.
The diplomats said the total at the morgue in Al-Muaisem, one of the biggest in Mecca, was 550.
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a mandatory pilgrimage for all Muslims who have the means to undertake it at least once in their lifetime.
A Saudi study published last month indicates that the pilgrimage is increasingly impacted by climate change, with temperatures in the ritual areas rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade.
On Monday, the Saudi national meteorology center reported that temperatures at the Grand Mosque in Mecca reached 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit).
Heat Stress
Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt’s foreign ministry announced that Cairo was working closely with Saudi authorities to locate Egyptians who had gone missing during the Hajj.
Although the ministry acknowledged “a certain number of deaths,” it did not specify whether any Egyptians were among the casualties.
Saudi authorities have reported treating over 2,000 pilgrims suffering from heat stress, but have not updated this figure since Sunday and have not released information on fatalities.
Last year, various countries reported at least 240 pilgrim deaths, predominantly among Indonesians.
Journalists in Mina, near Mecca, witnessed pilgrims pouring water over themselves while volunteers distributed cold beverages and quickly melting chocolate ice cream to help them stay cool.
Saudi officials had advised pilgrims to use umbrellas, drink ample water, and avoid sun exposure during the hottest parts of the day. However, many Hajj rituals, including Saturday’s prayers on Mount Arafat, require spending hours outdoors.
Some pilgrims recounted seeing motionless bodies on the roadside and observed ambulance services appearing overwhelmed at times.
According to Saudi authorities, approximately 1.8 million pilgrims participated in this year’s Hajj, with 1.6 million coming from overseas.
Unregistered Pilgrims
Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims attempt to participate in the Hajj through unofficial channels as they cannot afford the often costly procedures for official hajj visas. These unregistered pilgrims are exposed to heightened risks as they lack access to the air-conditioned facilities provided by Saudi authorities along the Hajj route.
According to a diplomat, the death toll among Egyptians was significantly increased by a large number of unregistered pilgrims.
“Irregular pilgrims caused great chaos in the Egyptian pilgrims’ camps, causing the collapse of services,” said an Egyptian official supervising the country’s hajj mission.
“The pilgrims went without food, water, or air conditioning for a long time.”
They died “from the heat because most people had no place” to take shelter.
Earlier this month, Saudi officials reported clearing hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca ahead of the Hajj.
Other countries, including Indonesia, Iran, and Senegal, have also reported deaths during this year’s Hajj, but specific numbers related to heat-related fatalities have not been disclosed by most countries.
Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel stated on Tuesday that health plans for the Hajj were executed successfully, preventing significant outbreaks of disease and other public health threats, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
Health officials provided virtual consultations to over 5,800 pilgrims, primarily for heat-related illnesses, allowing for prompt intervention and reducing the potential for a surge in cases, SPA reported.
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