Saudi Arabia: Severe Heat Kills Over 900 Hajj Pilgrims, Including 90 Indians

The scorching heat in Saudi Arabia has claimed the lives of more than 900 Hajj pilgrims, according to reports. The death toll has been steadily rising with each passing day.

According to an AFP report, the death toll due to the heat wave and heatstroke has crossed 900, and 1,400 Hajj pilgrims are missing. Arab officials report that among those who died, 600 are Egyptians, while 68 Indian Hajj pilgrims have also died. However, various independent reports suggest that the death toll among Indian Hajj pilgrims is 90.

Hajj pilgrims are traveling to Mecca and Medina amidst the scorching heat in Saudi Arabia. The report states that around 1.8 million people have visited Mecca, the holiest city of Islam, so far.

However, the heat is also extreme here. On Monday, the temperature reached 51.8 degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, AFP revealed that the death toll due to the heat wave has crossed 900. Among the deceased, 600 are from Egypt alone.

An Arab diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that "at least 600" of the dead were from Egypt, up from a little over 300 the previous day. He said most of the deaths were due to the unbearable heat. According to figures released by various countries, the death toll during the Mecca-Medina pilgrimage has reached 922. The diplomat said Saudi authorities had received 1,400 reports of missing pilgrims from Egypt, of whom 600 had died.

The situation is dire, prompting people to start campaigns on Facebook and other social media platforms to find their loved ones. A Saudi Arabian official noted that most of the deceased are elderly pilgrims who could not withstand the extreme heat and died of heatstroke.

It is worth noting that the Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and every year a large number of people visit Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The scorching heat during this year's Hajj pilgrimage has broken all records, with temperatures surpassing 50 degrees Celsius. In 2023, more than 200 pilgrims died during Hajj, and over 2,000 people were hospitalised due to heat.