Hajj Pilgrimage Death Toll Surpasses 1,000 Amid Intense Heat
The death toll at the great Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which took place under intense heat, has exceeded one thousand, according to a report by AFP based on data provided by various countries.
The rituals were conducted again this year in extremely high temperatures, reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.
An Arab diplomat told AFP on Thursday that 58 additional deaths were recorded among Egyptian pilgrims, bringing the total number of Egyptian citizens who died during the hajj to 658.
According to this diplomat, 630 of them did not have official authorization to participate in the pilgrimage.
In total, 1,081 deaths were reported by approximately ten countries through press releases or by diplomats involved in victim search operations.
Annually, tens of thousands of believers attempt to participate in the pilgrimage without holding the necessary permits, which are issued according to quotas and involve various costs.
At the beginning of June, Saudi Arabia announced that its security forces had turned away over 300,000 unregistered pilgrims in Mecca.
However, it seems that a large number of clandestine pilgrims participated in the rituals, starting from Friday, under particularly difficult conditions.
"The people were tired because they were pursued by the security forces before the day of the ritual on Mount Arafat (Saturday). They were exhausted," an Arab diplomat, who requested anonymity, told AFP on Thursday.
According to this diplomat, the heat is the main cause of deaths among Egyptian pilgrims, causing complications related to high blood pressure.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
