Agence France-Presse: Greater than a thousand individuals die in the course of the 2024 Hajj season amid the extreme warmth in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh – The variety of deaths from Hajj this yr The variety of Saudi pilgrims exceeded one thousand, in keeping with a tally ready by Agence France-Presse on Thursday, greater than half of whom had been unregistered worshipers who carried out the Hajj in mild of the acute warmth in Saudi Arabia. The brand new deaths reported Thursday included 58 From EgyptIn keeping with an Arab diplomat who offered an evaluation displaying that out of a complete of 658 useless from that nation, 630 had been unregistered.

In whole, about 10 nations reported 1,081 deaths in the course of the annual Hajj, one of many 5 pillars of Islam that every one Muslims with the means should carry out not less than as soon as. These numbers got here by official statements or from diplomats engaged on their nations’ responses.

The Hajj, which is timed in keeping with the Islamic lunar calendar, fell once more this yr in the course of the oven-like Saudi summer time.

The Nationwide Middle of Meteorology reported that the excessive temperature reached 51.8 levels Celsius (125 levels Fahrenheit) earlier this week on the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Egyptian officers contacted by CBS Information didn’t affirm the numbers reported by AFP, however dozens of movies posted on social media in current days confirmed our bodies dumped within the streets across the Grand Mosque.

Jordanian Ministry of International Affairs Issue a statement On Thursday, it confirmed on social media the demise of 68 residents who had traveled to Saudi Arabia to carry out Hajj rituals, including that 16 others are nonetheless lacking. The ministry mentioned that lots of those that died had been buried in Mecca on the request of their households.

In keeping with a Saudi research printed final month, temperatures within the area are rising by 0.4 levels Celsius, or simply below one diploma Fahrenheit, each decade.

Yearly, tens of 1000’s of pilgrims try and carry out the Hajj by irregular channels as a result of they can’t afford the customarily costly official permits. Saudi authorities reported evacuating a whole bunch of 1000’s of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca earlier this month, however lots of them seem to nonetheless be taking part in the primary rituals that started final Friday.

This group was extra weak to the warmth as a result of, with out official permits, they might not entry the air-conditioned areas that Saudi authorities present for the 1.8 million pilgrims who’re approved to chill off after hours of strolling and praying exterior.

“Folks had been drained after being chased by safety forces earlier than Arafat Day. They had been exhausted,” an Arab diplomat advised AFP on Thursday, referring to Saturday’s outside prayer that marked the fruits of the Hajj.

The diplomat mentioned that the primary reason behind demise for Egyptian pilgrims was warmth, which led to issues associated to hypertension and different issues.

Along with Egypt, Agence France-Presse confirmed deaths in Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia and the autonomous area of Iraqi Kurdistan, though the authorities didn’t decide the trigger in lots of circumstances.

Family and friends members are looking for the pilgrims who’re nonetheless lacking.

On Wednesday, they searched hospitals and requested on-line for information, fearing the worst throughout scorching temperatures.

Saudi Arabia didn’t present info on deaths, though it reported greater than 2,700 circumstances of “warmth exhaustion” on Sunday alone.