Authorities report temperatures of more than 50 degrees – and call on believers to protect themselves adequately from the sun. Nevertheless, hundreds of deaths occur during the Muslim pilgrimage Hajj.
During the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, more than 300 Egyptians have died due to extreme heat. Only one of the 323 Egyptian deaths was not a victim of heat, two Arab diplomats told the AFP news agency. According to an AFP count, the total number of deaths during the Hajj has risen to at least 577.
According to the diplomats, at least 60 Jordanians also died. Iran, Tunisia, Indonesia and Senegal had previously reported deaths. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every healthy Muslim who can afford it should undertake it at least once in their life. Temperatures in the region have risen to well over 40 degrees Celsius in recent days.
Many of the rituals are performed outdoors and on foot, which is particularly challenging for older people. Saudi Arabia did not initially provide any information on the number of fatalities during this year’s hajj. Last year, authorities said, 10,000 people were treated, ten percent of whom suffered from heat stroke.
