The number of deaths during the Islamic regular pilgrimage (Hajj) has exceeded 1,300 amid scorching heat with daytime temperatures surpassing 50 degrees Celsius.
According to Saudi Arabia's state-run SPA news agency on the 24th, Fahad Al-Jalajel, Minister of Health, appeared on state television and announced that a total of 1,301 people died from heat-related illnesses during the Hajj period.
Last year, the number of deaths during the same period reached around 200.
This is the first official disclosure of the death toll related to this year's pilgrimage, five days after the Hajj ended on the 19th. Minister Al-Jalajel stated that many of the deceased did not carry identification cards, which delayed the verification of their identities and the handling of the bodies.
Minister Al-Jalajel revealed that about 83% of the deceased were pilgrims who had not received permission from Saudi authorities. He said, "They walked long distances under the scorching sun without proper rest or recovery," adding, "Many of the deceased were elderly or had chronic illnesses."
Minister Al-Jalajel also reported that 465,000 medical services were provided to pilgrims showing symptoms such as heatstroke, of which 141,000 were for unauthorized pilgrims.
On the 17th, temperatures at Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius, and the heatwave has continued before and after this year's Hajj period.
Hajj, held annually from the 7th to the 12th day of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam that every Muslim must perform at least once in their lifetime by visiting Mecca and Medina. Saudi authorities limit the number of participants each year through a national quota system. Since the Islamic calendar year is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, the pilgrimage period shifts earlier each year, causing it to coincide with the summer season in recent years.
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