Over 1 000 pilgrims reported dead as mercury soars to 51.8 °C (125 °F) during Hajj
Image credit: SCMP (stillshot)
At least 1 081 pilgrims were reported dead in ten countries, as of June 20, 2024, as temperatures rose to 51.8 °C (125 °F) causing more than 2 700 cases of extreme heat exhaustion in Saudi Arabia in just one day.
The death toll from this year’s Hajj pilgrimage has surpassed 1 000, with more than half of the deceased being unregistered worshippers who performed the pilgrimage under extreme heat conditions in Saudi Arabia. According to an AFP tally released on Thursday, June 20, new deaths included 58 from Egypt, adding to the total of 658 Egyptians who passed away. Of these, 630 were unregistered pilgrims.
Overall, around ten countries have reported 1 081 deaths during the annual pilgrimage, a fundamental practice in Islam that all Muslims with the means must complete at least once in their lifetime. These figures have been compiled from official statements or from diplomats involved in their countries’ response efforts.
This year’s Hajj began on June 14 and fell during the sweltering Saudi summer, as determined by the lunar Islamic calendar. The National Meteorological Center reported a high of 51.8 °C (125 °F) this week at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims attempt to perform the Hajj through irregular channels due to the high cost of official permits. Despite Saudi authorities clearing hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca earlier this month, many still participated in the main rites, which began last Friday.
This year, the unregistered pilgrims were particularly vulnerable to the heat as they could not access the air-conditioned spaces provided by Saudi authorities for the 1.8 million authorized pilgrims to cool down after hours of walking and praying outside.
“People were tired after being chased by security forces before Arafat day. They were exhausted,” an Arab diplomat told AFP on Thursday, referring to the day-long outdoor prayers on Saturday that marked the Hajj’s climax. The diplomat added that the main cause of death among Egyptian pilgrims was the heat, which triggered complications related to high blood pressure and other issues.
In addition to Egypt, new fatalities were confirmed on Thursday by Pakistan and Indonesia. Pakistan, which had around 150 000 pilgrims, has so far recorded 58 deaths, a diplomat briefed on the tally told AFP. “I think given the number of people, given the weather, this is just natural,” the diplomat said.
Indonesia, which had around 240 000 pilgrims, raised its death toll to 183, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, compared with 313 deaths recorded last year. Other countries confirming deaths include Malaysia, India, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, Sudan, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. In many cases, authorities have not specified the cause.
Meanwhile, friends and family members have been searching for pilgrims who are still missing.
On Wednesday, June 19, they scoured hospitals and pleaded online for news, fearing the worst in the scorching temperatures.
Saudi authorities have begun the burial process for deceased pilgrims, which involves cleaning the bodies, wrapping them in white burial cloth, and interring them in individual graves. “The burial is done by the Saudi authorities. They have their own system, so we just follow that,” said one diplomat, who noted that his country was working to notify loved ones of the dead as best as it could. Another diplomat mentioned that given the number of fatalities, it would be impossible to notify many families ahead of time, especially in Egypt, which accounts for a significant number of the deceased.
The government of Saudi Arabia has not provided any information on fatalities, though it reported more than 2 700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone.
In 2023, various countries reported more than 300 deaths during the Hajj, mostly Indonesians.
Hosting the Hajj is a source of prestige for the Saudi royal family, with King Salman’s official title including the words “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” in Mecca and Medina. The Hajj has historically been the scene of several disasters, including stampedes and fires, the most recent being in 2015 when a stampede during the “stoning the devil” ritual in Mina, near Mecca, resulted in up to 2,300 deaths, marking the event’s deadliest disaster to date.
References:
1 Death toll tops 1,000 after hajj marked by extreme heat – AFP – June 20, 2024
2 Extreme heat claims over 1,000 Hajj pilgrims lives, most of them unregistered – FP – June 20, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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