Mass Casualties During Hajj: Over 1300 Deaths Reported in Saudi Arabia
Tragic casualties have surfaces these past few days, now confirmed: Over a thousand souls have perished during this year's Hajj in Saudi Arabia. As per Saudi Arabian news, the majority of the deceased were undocumented pilgrims with limited resources for heat-resistant amenities.
Saudi Arabian state media announced that a total of 1301 individuals lost their lives during this year's Islamic pilgrimage to Hajj in Saudi Arabia. According to official Saudi Arabian news channels, more than 80% of the fatalities were unofficial attendees. They had to traverse vast distances under scorching sunlight and lacked essential protection.
Foreign Arab diplomats informed AFP that 658 of the dead were from Egypt, 630 of whom were said to be unregistered.
Scorching temperatures beyond 50 degrees Celsius
This five-day event in Saudi Arabia is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims deemed physically fit and financially capable are expected to embark on this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Many devotees attended the Hajj without an official registration and, therefore, evaded the Saudi Arabian authorities' notice.
Before the Hajj commenced on June 14, Saudi Arabian officials reportedly forced hundreds of thousands of undocumented pilgrims out of Mecca - among whom many apparently continued their participation in the Hajj.
These unregistered pilgrims were exposed to temperatures above 51 degrees Celsius. Without registration, they had no access to air-conditioned resting areas set up by the authorities for the 1.8 million officially registered pilgrims to take respite from the exhausting marches and outdoor prayers.
