Sixty-eight Indian nationals were among more than 900 pilgrims from around the world who died during this year’s Haj pilgrimage, marked by searing heat and extreme temperatures, according to sources on Wednesday.
The deaths of the Indians occurred over several weeks, with six fatalities reported on the final day of the pilgrimage. Causes included natural factors such as old age, along with the intense weather conditions, the sources said anonymously. There has been no official statement from the Indian government.
A total of 175,000 Indian pilgrims traveled to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Haj. Reports indicate that 550 deaths were recorded during the pilgrimage, as stated by two unnamed Arab diplomats, and an AFP tally put the total at 645. This includes 323 Egyptians and 60 Jordanians, with confirmed deaths also from Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
Last year, over 200 pilgrims, mostly Indonesians, were reported dead. Sources noted that many Indian pilgrims are elderly and in poor health, leading to numerous fatalities each year.
Two officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, estimated that at least 600 bodies were at the Emergency Complex in Mecca’s Al-Muaisem neighborhood. Security was tight, with officials reading out names of the deceased, including those from India, Algeria, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia has not provided official fatality numbers but reported over 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone.
The Haj pilgrimage, determined by the lunar Islamic calendar, has recently fallen during the sweltering Saudi summer. A Saudi study published in May indicated that temperatures in the area are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius each decade. On Tuesday, temperatures in Mecca and surrounding sacred sites reached 47 degrees Celsius, causing some pilgrims to faint during the symbolic stoning of the devil. The Grand Mosque in Mecca saw temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.
More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Haj this year, with over 1.6 million coming from 22 countries.