In the midst of rising heat in Saudi Arabia, the death toll has risen by over 1,000, in Mecca, with more than half of the victims who visited being unregistered worshippers. Death toll includes Indonesia – 199, India – 98 Egypt – 31, USA -2 and other deaths are of unregistered pilgrims.
Pilgrims visit Mecca every year
Mecca is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam which Muslims must complete once in a lifetime. The dates and timings of the hajj are fixed by the lunar Islamic calendar, and over again, it fell during the scorching summer of Saudi Arabia. Earlier this week, weather forecasts reported a temperature of over 51 degrees Celsius in the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
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Death tolls with rising temperature
According to a study by the Saudi government last month, temperature is rising 0.4 degrees Celsius each decade in the area. This year Saudi officials cleared hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims for hajj, despite that many of them still participated in the pilgrimage without proper permits. The unregistered pilgrims did not have access to air-conditioned areas and other facilities, so they were the most susceptible to the heatwave.
“People were tired after being chased by security forces before Arafat day. They were exhausted,” one Arab diplomat told AFP on Thursday, referring to Saturday’s day-long outdoor prayers that marked the hajj’s climax.
Cause of Death
The main cause of death for the majority was the scorching heat, which set off complications related to high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, and other health problems. Not only in Egypt but also fatalities have been confirmed by Malaysia, Pakistan, Jordan, India, Senegal, Indonesia, Iran, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, although in many cases officials have not specified the cause.
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300 pilgrims died last year
Fearing the worst, friends and relatives of the pilgrims are searching for their family members in the hospitals. Last year the death toll from various countries was around 300 during hajj, in which most were from Indonesia. The timing of the hajj goes back 11 days each year in the Gregorian calendar, which means next year it will take place earlier in June, possibly in cooler conditions.
About the Author
Simran Akhouri is a postgraduate student in journalism from the University of Delhi. She has developed strong writing skills that allow her to convey stories. She is passionate about uncovering the truth and delivering it to the public in an engaging and accessible manner.
