Hajj 2024 death toll: Heatstroke claims nearly 1000 lives in Mecca as temperatures rise above 51C
Soaring temperatures during Hajj 2024 pilgrimage has claimed over 900 lives of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca. The pilgrims succumbed to heat-related illnesses, noted diplomats, adding that at least 323 of the dead are from Egypt.
Temperatures in Mecca touched 51.8 degrees Celsius on Monday, as per the National Centre of Meteorology. The diplomats futher mentioned, “all of [the Egyptians] died because of heat” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush.
Most of the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage, an annual journey Muslims across the globe are obligated to make at least once in their lifetime, are held outside under the direct sun, leading to scores of pilgrims getting exposed to extreme heat.
Hajj 2024 death toll boosted by unregistered Muslims
The diplomats highlighted that at least 60 people from Jordan also died during Hajj 2024, up from an official figure of 41 given earlier on Tuesday by the country. Some pilgrims described seeing motionless bodies and ambulance services that appeared unable to control the situation.
Thousands of unregistered Muslims who often cannot afford the relatively expensive procedures for official visas try to perform the Hajj pilgrimage through irregular channels. These people often do not have access to air-conditioned services and facilities.
One of the diplomats describing the situation noted that the concerning Egyptian death toll from heat-related illnesses was “absolutely” boosted by a large number of unregistered pilgrims from the country. The people had no access to food, water or air conditioning for a long time.
Climate change posing threat to health of Hajj pilgrims
Climate change-led rising temperatures made things extremely difficult for pilgrims during Hajj 2024 but it could not stop the people from visiting the holy site. Roughly 1.8 million pilgrims took part in the journey this year, including 1.6 million pilgrims from abroad.
In order to keep the situation under control, Saudi officials had issued advisories for people going on the pilgrimage to drink plenty of water, use umbrellas and avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest hours of the day. The country had also installed extensive cooling systems.
Increasing temperatures and humidity pose a serious threat to the health of Hajj pilgrims. Researchers predict that the annual pilgrimage could turn even more dangerous from 2047 to 2052 and from 2079 to 2086 during the hottest months of the year.
