Hajj Pilgrimage: 19 Die In Saudi Arabia As Temperatures Soar In Kingdom; 17 Others Missing

At least 14 Jordanian and five Iranian pilgrims have died while on the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, authorities said on Sunday, as temperatures soar in the kingdom.

Muslim pilgrims started streaming into the holy city of Mecca last week as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale. Saudi officials earlier said they expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed those in 2023, when more than 1.8 million people performed Hajj.

“Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died and 17 others were missing” during the performance of hajj rituals, Jordan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry later confirmed the 14 had died “after suffering sun stroke due to the extreme heat wave”.

Iranian Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand separately said “five Iranian pilgrims have lost their lives so far in Mecca and Medina during the hajj this year”, without saying how they died. The hajj, one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings, is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims with the means must perform it at least once.

Temperatures have pushed well past 40 degrees Celsius during the annual pilgrimage around 1.8 million Muslims are taking part this year. Many of the rituals are performed outdoors and on foot, creating challenges, especially among the elderly.

Saudi Arabia has not provided any information on fatalities. However, the kingdom has implemented heat mitigation measures, including climate-controlled areas. It distributes water and offers advice to pilgrims on protecting themselves from the sun. Saudi authorities control the flow of pilgrims through quotas, allowing each country one pilgrim for every thousand Muslim citizens.

During last year’s hajj at least 240 people, many from Indonesia, died, according to figures announced by various countries which also did not specify causes of death. A Saudi official told AFP this week that over 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded last year, 10 percent of them heat stroke.

(With agency inputs)