It has been confirmed that over 1,300 people have died in the sweltering heat exceeding 122°F during the annual Islamic pilgrimage, Hajj.
According to SPA on the 24th, Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel announced that the number of fatalities due to heat-related illnesses during the Hajj period has reached a total of 1,301 people.
This figure exceeds more than six times the deaths of the 200 deaths last year.
The official tally of deaths related to this year’s pilgrimage has been released for the first time. This comes just five days after the conclusion of Hajj on the 19th. Al-Jalajel explained that many of the deceased did not carry identification, which delayed the process of identifying them and handling their bodies.
Al-Jalajel mentioned that about 83% of the deceased were identified as not having obtained pilgrimage permits from Saudi authorities, stating, “They walked long distances without proper rest or recovery under the scorching sun.”
He further expressed condolences, noting, “Many of the deceased were elderly or suffered from chronic illnesses.”
Al-Jalajel emphasized that a total of 465,000 medical services were provided to pilgrims showing symptoms such as heatstroke with 141,000 specifically directed towards unauthorized pilgrims.
Pilgrims have also given testimonies stating that preparations for the heatwave and the crowd were inadequate.
According to CNN on the 22nd, participants in the pilgrimage expressed, “There were too many people and a shortage of medical staff,” adding, “There were bodies almost every few hundred meters.”
Jiraar Ali, who returned from Saudi Arabia to London, said, “There were too many people and not enough medical staff,” adding, “They seemed to wait for the worst of the worst situations to happen before taking action.”
Ahmad from Indonesia stated that he did not see any medical staff or ambulances on the road, sharing, “Whenever residents or organizations distributed water, the pilgrims immediately crowded around.”
