Over a thousand Heat-Related Deaths Reported During Hajj Pilgrimage
Blistering Heat Claims Over a Thousand Lives During Hajj - Tragic Consequences: As per a diplomat, more than 650 pilgrims, the majority being from Egypt, have perished due to the intense heat during the Islamic Pilgrimage Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The majority of these pilgrims were not officially registered and hence lacked access to cooled facilities.
The scorching heat during the Muslim Pilgrimage Hajj in Saudi Arabia has unfortunately resulted in over 1000 deaths so far. Unregistered pilgrims made up more than half of the casualties. An Arab diplomat illustrated that 658 of the deceased were from Egypt, 630 of whom weren't officially registered. The diplomat stated that these pilgrims succumbed to temperatures as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius. Distraught family members scoured hospitals in desperation for missing pilgrims, fearing the worst.
"Every confirmed death can be traced back to the heat," the diplomat commented. This implies there were at least 600 Egyptian fatalities. Furthermore, 800 pilgrims from Egypt were also reported missing.
Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Tunisia, Indonesia, and Senegal have also reported deaths during the Hajj. An Asian diplomat talked about "approximately 68" Indian pilgrims who had died. Adding up the reports from various countries, at least 922 people have perished during this year's Hajj. Last year, more than 200 deaths were reported during the Pilgrimage, most of whom were from Indonesia.
No Cooled Spaces Accessible without Official Approval
Mabrouka bint Salem Shoushana, a 70-year-old Tunisian, has been missing since she climbed Mount Arafat on Saturday, as her husband Mohammed reported. Lacking an official permit for the Pilgrimage, she had no access to the cooled facilities where pilgrims can rest after hours of prayer in the sweltering sun. The search across all hospitals has been fruitless so far.
The 70-year-old Huria Sharif from Egypt was also reported missing after praying on Mount Arafat. "We have knocked on all doors, but we have yet to find her," a fellow pilgrim's friend lamented. Ghada Mahmud Ahmed Dawood, an Egyptian pilgrim, is also missing. Her daughter contacted a Saudi Arabian friend via Facebook and requested help in the search endeavor. "We have not found her on the list of the dead, which provides us with hope that she might still be alive."
Family members of pilgrims frantically searched for information. Numerous photos of missing Hajj participants were shared on online networks. The search for missing persons is complicated due to many believers participating in the Pilgrimage without the official pilgrim license and, consequently, aren't registered by the Saudi Arabian authorities.
The Islamic Pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia's Mecca is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and it is obligatory for every physically capable Muslim to undertake it at least once in their lifetime, if they can afford it. The duration of the Pilgrimage is determined by the Islamic calendar and often occurs during heatwaves in recent years. This year, around 1.8 million pilgrims participated, among whom 1.6 million were foreign pilgrims.
Many of the rituals are performed outdoors and on foot, which is particularly challenging for the elderly. According to Saudi Arabian authorities, more than 2700 cases of heat-related exhaustion were recorded on Sundays alone. The authorities chose not to comment on temperatures-related fatalities.
According to a Saudi Arabian study published in May, weather conditions during the Hajj are becoming increasingly difficult due to global warming: The average temperature during the pilgrimage journey is reported to increase by 0.4 degrees every decade.
