Officers: Greater than 1,300 pilgrims died throughout this yr’s Hajj season in Saudi Arabia – World Information

Up to date: 1:25 p.m

Greater than 1,300 individuals died throughout this yr’s Hajj season in Saudi Arabia because the devoted confronted scorching temperatures at Islamic holy websites within the desert kingdom, Saudi authorities introduced on Sunday.

Saudi Well being Minister Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel stated that 83% of the 1,301 deaths had been from unauthorized pilgrims who walked lengthy distances in excessive temperatures to carry out Hajj rituals in and across the holy metropolis of Mecca.

The minister stated in an interview with the state-owned Al-Ekhbariya channel that 95 pilgrims had been receiving therapy in hospitals, a few of whom had been airlifted for therapy within the capital, Riyadh. He stated that the identification course of was delayed as a result of there have been no identification paperwork with lots of the lifeless pilgrims.

He added that the lifeless had been buried in Mecca, with out giving particulars.

Among the many lifeless had been greater than 660 Egyptians. All however 31 had been unauthorized pilgrims, in accordance with officers in Cairo. Egyptian authorities stated that Egypt has canceled the licenses of 16 journey companies that helped unauthorized pilgrims journey to Saudi Arabia.

The officers, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to temporary reporters, stated many of the lifeless had been reported on the emergency complicated in Mecca’s Al-Muaisem district. Egypt despatched greater than 50,000 approved pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this yr.

Saudi authorities have taken strict measures in opposition to unauthorized pilgrims, expelling tens of 1000’s of individuals. However many, most of them Egyptians, had been capable of attain the holy websites in and round Mecca, some on foot. In contrast to approved pilgrims, they’d no accommodations to return to to flee the scorching warmth.

The Egyptian authorities stated in an announcement on Saturday that the 16 journey companies failed to offer ample companies to pilgrims. It stated that these companies illegally facilitated the journey of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia utilizing visas that don’t enable their holders to journey to Mecca.

The federal government additionally stated that firm officers had been referred to the general public prosecutor for investigation.

In accordance with the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, some journey companies and Hajj tour operators offered Saudi vacationer visas to Egyptian pilgrims, in violation of Saudi rules that require visas completely for pilgrims. The newspaper stated that these companies left the pilgrims in limbo in Mecca and the holy websites in gentle of the extreme warmth.

The lifeless additionally included 165 pilgrims from Indonesia, 98 from India, and dozens extra from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia, in accordance with an Related Press tally. The deaths of US residents had been additionally reported.

The Related Press was unable to independently verify the causes of demise, however some nations corresponding to Jordan and Tunisia blamed excessive temperatures. Related Press journalists noticed pilgrims shedding consciousness because of the intense warmth, particularly on the second and third days of the Hajj. Some vomited and collapsed.

Traditionally, deaths will not be unusual through the Hajj season, which has at instances seen greater than two million individuals journey to Saudi Arabia for the five-day Hajj. The historical past of Hajj additionally witnessed stampedes and lethal epidemics.

However this yr’s toll was unusually excessive, indicating distinctive circumstances.

In 2015, the stampede in Mina killed greater than 2,400 pilgrims, the deadliest incident ever to hit the Hajj, in accordance with an Related Press tally. Saudi Arabia has by no means acknowledged the complete variety of the stampede. The collapse of a separate crane within the Grand Mosque in Mecca earlier the identical yr killed 111 individuals.

The second deadliest accident through the Hajj season was the stampede that occurred in 1990 and led to the deaths of 1,426 individuals.

Throughout this yr’s Hajj interval, day by day excessive temperatures ranged between 46 levels Celsius (117 levels Fahrenheit) and 49 levels Celsius (120 levels Fahrenheit) in Mecca and the holy websites in and round Medina, in accordance with the Saudi Nationwide Meteorological Middle. Some individuals fainted whereas making an attempt to symbolically carry out the stoning of Devil.

The Hajj, one of many 5 pillars of Islam, is likely one of the largest spiritual gatherings on the earth. Greater than 1.83 million Muslims carried out the Hajj in 2024, together with greater than 1.6 million from 22 nations, and about 222,000 Saudi residents and residents, in accordance with Saudi Hajj authorities.

Saudi Arabia has spent billions of {dollars} on crowd management and security measures for these attending the annual five-day Hajj, however the sheer variety of individuals makes it troublesome to make sure their security.

Local weather change can enhance dangers. A 2019 research by consultants on the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how discovered that even when the world succeeds in mitigating the worst results of local weather change, the Hajj will likely be held at temperatures exceeding the “excessive hazard threshold” from 2047 to 2052, and from 2079 to 2079. 2052. 2086.

Islam follows the lunar calendar, so the Hajj comes roughly 11 days earlier annually. By 2029, the Hajj will happen in April, and several other years later in winter, when temperatures are extra reasonable.

Unique: 7 am

Greater than 1,000 individuals died throughout Hajj season this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Believers confronted extraordinarily excessive temperatures at Islamic holy websites within the desert kingdom, officers stated Sunday.

Greater than half of these killed had been Egyptians, in accordance with officers in Cairo. Egyptian authorities stated that Egypt has canceled the licenses of 16 journey companies that helped unauthorized pilgrims journey to Saudi Arabia.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia There was no touch upon deaths throughout Hajj It is required of every able Muslim once in his life.

The Egyptian authorities introduced the demise of 31 approved pilgrims as a consequence of power illnesses throughout this yr’s Hajj season, however it didn’t present an official rely of different pilgrims.

Nevertheless, a cupboard official stated that no less than 630 different Egyptians died whereas performing the Hajj, most of them reported on the emergency complicated in Mecca’s Al-Ma’aisem district. An Egyptian diplomat confirmed this toll and stated that many of the lifeless had been buried in Saudi Arabia.

The officers spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to tell reporters.

Saudi authorities have taken strict measures in opposition to unauthorized pilgrims, expelling tens of 1000’s of individuals. However many, most of them Egyptians, had been capable of attain the holy websites in and round Mecca, some on foot. In contrast to approved pilgrims, they’d no accommodations to flee the scorching warmth.

The federal government stated in its assertion that the 16 journey companies failed to offer ample companies to pilgrims. It stated that these companies illegally facilitated the journey of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia utilizing visas that don’t enable their holders to journey to Mecca.

The federal government additionally stated that firm officers had been referred to the general public prosecutor for investigation.

The lifeless additionally included 165 pilgrims from Indonesia, 98 from India, and dozens extra from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia, in accordance with an Related Press tally. Two American pilgrims had been additionally reported killed.

The Related Press was unable to independently verify the causes of demise, however some nations corresponding to Jordan and Tunisia blamed excessive temperatures.

Related Press journalists witnessed pilgrims shedding consciousness because of the excessive warmth through the Hajj, particularly on the second and third days. Some vomited and collapsed.

Deaths will not be uncommon through the Hajj season, which at instances has seen greater than two million individuals journey to Saudi Arabia to carry out the five-day Hajj. The historical past of Hajj additionally witnessed stampedes and lethal epidemics.

However this yr’s toll was unusually excessive, indicating distinctive circumstances.

In 2015, a stampede in Mina during the Hajj season killed more than 2,400 pilgrims.It’s the deadliest incident ever to hit the Hajj, in accordance with AP. Saudi Arabia has by no means acknowledged the complete variety of the stampede. A separate crane collapsed in the Grand Mosque in Mecca Earlier the identical yr 111 had been killed.

The second deadliest accident through the Hajj season was the stampede that occurred in 1990 and led to the deaths of 1,426 individuals.

Throughout this yr’s Hajj interval, day by day excessive temperatures ranged between 46 levels Celsius (117 levels Fahrenheit) and 49 levels Celsius (120 levels Fahrenheit) in Mecca and the holy websites in and round Medina, in accordance with the Saudi Nationwide Meteorological Middle. Some individuals have fainted whereas making an attempt to carry out the process Symbolically stoning Satan.

The Hajj, one of many 5 pillars of Islam, is likely one of the largest spiritual gatherings on the earth. Greater than 1.83 million Muslims carried out the Hajj in 2024, together with greater than 1.6 million from 22 nations, and about 222,000 Saudi residents and residents, in accordance with Saudi Hajj authorities.

Saudi Arabia has spent billions of {dollars} on crowd management and security measures for these attending the annual five-day Hajj, however the sheer variety of individuals makes making certain their security troublesome.

Local weather change can enhance dangers. A 2019 research by consultants on the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how discovered that even when the world succeeds in mitigating the worst results of local weather change, the Hajj will likely be held at temperatures exceeding the “excessive hazard threshold” from 2047 to 2052, and from 2079 to 2079. 2052. 2086.

Islam follows the lunar calendar, so the Hajj comes roughly 11 days earlier annually. By 2029, the Hajj will happen in April, and several other years later in winter, when temperatures are extra reasonable.