Over 500 Hajj Pilgrims Die In Mecca As Temperatures Cross 50 Degree Celsius, Thousands Being Treated For Heat Stress

Hajj Pilgrims In Mecca Die Due To Heat: The summer season has been a bane for most people across the country this year as most parts are experiencing record-breaking high temperatures each day; this is causing excessive damage to the crops, the flora and fauna and also humans. Apart from India, there are several other countries who are experiencing severe heat; in a latest and rather shocking news update, at least 550 people who had gone for their annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, have died after the temperatures there exceeded 50 degree Celsius. A few thousands are being treated for heat stress.

Over 500 Hajj Pilgrims Die Due To Excessive Heat In Mecca

As mentioned earlier, hundreds of visitors have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca amid scorching heat, according to press reports and foreign ministries. At least 550 people have died on haj, diplomats told French outlet Agence France Presse (AFP) on Tuesday. Three hundred and twenty-three of the dead were Egyptians, most of whom perished due to heat-related illness, AFP reported, citing two Arab diplomats. However, Reuters was not able to immediately verify those numbers.

Temperatures In Mecca Cross 50 Degree Celsius

Saudi state TV said temperatures rose on Monday as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit) in the shade at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Thirty-five Tunisian citizens have died during the haj, Tunisian news agency Tunis Afrique Presse said on Tuesday. Many of those deaths were due to extreme heat, family members said on social media, as other families continued to search for missing relatives in Saudi hospitals. Pilgrims used umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun, as Saudi authorities warned pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours between 11 a.m. (0800 GMT) and 3 p.m.

Pilgrims Who Died Belonged To Different Countries

The Jordanian foreign ministry said it had issued 41 burial permits for Jordanian pilgrims on Tuesday. Earlier, the ministry said at least six Jordanian citizens died of heat stroke during the haj. Eleven Iranians have died and 24 were hospitalized during the pilgrimage, Iranian state news outlet IRINN said on Tuesday without giving the causes of death. Three Senegalese citizens also died during haj, Agence de Presse Sénégalaise, said on Monday. One hundred and forty-four Indonesian citizens died during the pilgrimage, Indonesian health ministry data showed on Tuesday. The data did not specify if any of the deaths were due to heat stroke.

Apart from the deaths, over two thousands other pilgrims are being treated for heat stress according to the authorities of Saudi Arabia; however, the figure has not been updates since Sunday.

(Inputs from Reuters)