Saudi Arabia Denies Responsibility for 1,000 Deaths in Pilgrimage: "Not Our Fault"

Over 1,000 Deaths Among Visitors During Haji Period
Many Unauthorized Pilgrims... Unable to Use Air Conditioning and Buses

During the Hajj pilgrimage period to Islam's holiest sites, Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, over 1,000 deaths occurred due to extreme heat, and the Saudi government has stated that it is not responsible. This is the first time the Saudi government has issued a statement regarding the incident.

On the 21st (local time), AFP reported that a senior Saudi official said regarding the pilgrimage incident, "The state did not fail in its management responsibilities, but there was a misjudgment by some individuals who overlooked the risks." The official added, "The incident occurred under extreme heat and harsh weather conditions."

Between the 14th and 19th during the Hajj period, among visitors from 10 countries who came to Saudi Arabia, 1,126 people have been confirmed dead so far due to heat-related illnesses and other causes. The US Wall Street Journal (WSJ) estimates the death toll to be over 1,170.

This is the highest number since the 2015 stampede during the pilgrimage period that killed more than 2,000 people. Especially since hundreds of people have been hospitalized with heat-related illnesses or are missing, the death toll is expected to rise further.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The nationalities of the confirmed deceased so far include Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq.

The pilgrimage, held annually from the 7th to the 12th of the 12th month in the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam.

However, Saudi authorities limit the number of pilgrims through a quota system by country, and as a result, many people attempt unauthorized pilgrimages after entering Saudi Arabia on tourist visas or other means. Saudi authorities stated that about 1.8 million people were officially permitted to visit Mecca this year, but the number of unofficial pilgrims reached 400,000.

The Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has experienced hot weather with temperatures exceeding 51.8 degrees Celsius. Moreover, foreign media pointed out that the influx of unauthorized pilgrims who could not properly access air conditioning and other cooling facilities was a cause of the incident.

The authorities allowed unauthorized individuals to perform the pilgrimage on site, but air conditioning and other cooling facilities were not provided to them. Additionally, pilgrims claimed that police prohibited unauthorized individuals from using buses. This led to situations where people had to walk several kilometers in the extreme heat.

AFP reported, "There have been 658 confirmed Egyptian deaths, of which 630 were unauthorized pilgrims."