"American Woman Ill-Fated on Hajj Journey: Parents Perish, Leaving Daughter in Despair"
Individuals spent a whopping $23,000 for an all-inclusive travel package arranged by a tour company situated in Maryland. The planned journey was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it turned into a tragedy this week as Saida Wurie, the daughter, learned that her parents, Isatu Tejan Wurie (65) and Alieu Dausy Wurie (71), from Bowie, Maryland, were among the hundreds who perished due to the harsh temperatures endured in the Persian Gulf country. Over 500 deaths have been confirmed, but fears suggest the actual number might exceed a thousand.
The Wurie couple were American citizens who had recently retired – Mrs. Wurie as a head nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Prince George’s County. During their communication via a family group chat, Saida found out that the company failed to provide adequate transportation and required credentials for the pilgrimage. The group they were traveling with, which included approximately 100 pilgrims, lacked enough food and supplies for the multi-day pilgrimage, a significant aspect of Islam.
Saida believes her parents weren't adequately prepared by the tour operator and did not receive what they paid for. CNN has tried to contact the tour company for its response.
Saida last heard from her parents on Saturday, June 15, when her mother messaged that they had been waiting for hours for transportation to take them to Mount Arafat. Fearing the worst, she believes they were situated in Mina at the time. After walking for over two hours, the couple decided to join other pilgrims and those in their tour group on Mount Arafat. A fellow tour member contacted Saida to say that her parents had disappeared on Mount Arafat. Her father had stopped to rest along the way, saying he could no longer continue the journey.
The US Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, issued death notifications to Saida saying her parents died due to "natural causes" on June 15. She was informed later by someone at the US Embassy that heat stroke could be considered a natural cause. The Consulate General’s Office informed her that her parents had already been buried, but couldn't provide the exact location.
Now, Saida and her brothers are striving to find answers and locate their parents' burial site. They have requested the Saudi government to hold their parents' bodies, so they can travel to Saudi Arabia to give them a proper burial accompanied by their children to identify their remains. However, the government has already buried them. Saida hopes American diplomats will assist her and her siblings upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia, as she doesn't know Arabic and is unfamiliar with the region. As of Saturday, diplomats have not agreed to meet them in person in Saudi Arabia, she said.
The US State Department acknowledged the deaths of multiple American citizens in Saudi Arabia but declined to provide any specifics regarding the Wurie family.
Extreme heat has been pinpointed as a primary cause behind the hundreds of deaths and injuries reported during this year's Hajj. Mecca, the holy city key to Hajj pilgrims, registered temperatures of 125 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday.
While high temperatures for this year's gathering were anticipated, preparations were apparently insufficient, according to other Hajj pilgrims. Some even reported seeing fellow worshippers losing consciousness and passing by bodies covered in white cloths.
The exact death toll remains uncertain and is expected to rise, as various countries have reported the deaths of their nationals.
Growing concern surrounds inadequate tour groups as well. Following the tragic events, Egypt announced it was revoking the licenses of 16 travel agencies that arrange Hajj trips.
This isn't the first time that hundreds of pilgrims have perished during the Hajj. In 2015, more than 700 people were killed in a stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca. In 2006, 363 people died in a stampede at the site where pilgrims gathered for the 'stoning of the devil' ritual in Mina. Last year, over 200 people passed away.
