(Riyadh) The death toll due to extreme heat during the hajj, the great Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in western Saudi Arabia, increased on Tuesday with the announcement by Jordan of new victims.
The total number of hajj deaths reported by countries now stands at 235, up from at least 240 last year, although most do not specify the exact number of cases linked to heat stress.
The annual rite, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, took place this year again in the middle of summer in one of the hottest regions in the world, with temperatures reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius in Islam’s holiest city.
Saudi authorities said they had treated more than 2,000 pilgrims suffering from heat stress, but did not provide information on deaths.
After initially reporting 14 deaths, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that it had issued 41 burial permits to bury worshipers in Mecca.
Authorities “are following burial procedures for Jordanian pilgrims who died during the hajj after suffering from heatstroke,” he added.
For its part, the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported 35 victims among the Tunisian faithful, in a context of “a sharp rise in temperatures” in the kingdom.
Neither country has specified the number of cases directly linked to heat stress.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed for its part that “search operations for Egyptians who went missing during the hajj” were underway, citing “a number of deaths”.
Indonesia earlier reported 132 deaths among its nationals, including at least three victims of heat stroke, and authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan cited heat as “one of the main reasons” for the deaths of 13 pilgrims .
Iran and Senegal also reported deaths without specifying the cause.
The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and Muslims who can afford it must perform it at least once in their lives.
About 1.8 million worshipers took part this year, including 1.6 million from abroad, according to Saudi authorities.
