Expired lives of multiple Hajj pilgrims as Mecca swelters at 120 degrees Fahrenheit heat.
In the latest update, over 41 Jordanians and 11 Iranians have perished, as confirmed by authorities in their respective nations. An additional 22 Jordanians remain unaccounted for, while 26 Iranians have ended up in hospitals, as reported by the Iranian Red Crescent on Wednesday via Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Many Iranians succumbed to heatstroke, while others had pre-existing health issues, the Red Crescent reported. With Saudi Arabia and Egypt yet to release official figures, the death toll is expected to increase.
authorities are only aware of the pilgrims who registered and were part of their country's quota. More casualties are feared among unregistered pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia reported that over 2,700 individuals were treated for heatstroke in connection to this year's event. Social media has been flooded with posts from people seeking information about their missing loved ones.
A mind-boggling 1.8 million individuals are participating in this year's Hajj, one of the world's biggest religious gatherings, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics.
While pilgrim deaths during the Hajj are nothing new, this year's event is occurring under typically scorching temperatures. This year, the Hajj season fell in June, one of the hottest months in the Kingdom, reaching temperatures as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
On Monday, Saudi Arabia suggested pilgrims avoid the 'stoning of the devil' ritual during certain hours due to extreme heat. Hajj officials have been giving out advice for pilgrims to carry umbrellas and stay hydrated. The Saudi army has dispatched over 1,600 medical personnel, specifically trained for heatstroke cases, along with 30 rapid response teams. Approximately 5,000 health and first aid volunteers are participating as well.
Performing Hajj is one of the five fundamental beliefs in Islam, calling for every financially and physically able Muslim to embark on the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
This ritual includes various intricate rituals such as donning a special garment signifying human equality and unity before God, a counter-clockwise procession around the Kaaba, and symbolically stoning evil.
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Despite the high number of reported deaths and missing pilgrims from various Middle Eastern countries, the actual death toll might be higher due to unregistered individuals participating in the Hajj.
The Middle East is not the only region affected by this global phenomenon, as millions of people from around the world participate in the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
