Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Officials in Saudi Arabia revealed on Sunday that over 1,300 pilgrims died during this year’s hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, as temperatures soared to a scorching 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit). The majority of the deceased did not possess official permits to participate in the religious journey.
The tragic deaths, mainly attributed to heat-related causes, impacted individuals from various countries, from the United States to Indonesia. Among the nations, Egyptians accounted for a significant number of casualties, with 630 unregistered pilgrims losing their lives.
The Saudi health minister, Fahd Al-Jalajel, praised the management of this year’s hajj as “successful,” noting that the health system had provided specialized treatment services to over 465,000 individuals. However, details on the number of deaths specifically linked to the extreme temperatures were not disclosed.
Despite efforts by Saudi authorities to clear unregistered pilgrims from Mecca before the hajj, around 400,000 individuals took part without official approval, with a large portion allegedly being of Egyptian nationality. This led to Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly taking action against tourism companies involved in organizing illegal pilgrimages.
The hajj pilgrimage, considered one of the five pillars of Islam, saw 1.8 million participants this year, with 1.6 million coming from abroad. As the timing of the hajj shifts earlier in the calendar each year, concerns around rising heat stress due to climate change have been raised, with projections indicating a potentially dangerous scenario for pilgrims in the future.
While Saudi officials strive to regulate the hajj through permit allocation and enforcement, the recent tragedy highlights the challenges posed by unauthorized pilgrims attempting the journey without proper accommodations and support. Moving forward, addressing these issues will be crucial to preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future.