Extreme Heat Wave Kills Over 1,000 Pilgrims In Saudi Arabia
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LAGOS JUNE 2ND (NEWSRANGERS)-No fewer than 1,081 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia as temperatures in the region soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius.
It is feared that the death toll could be higher, as more than half of the victims were unregistered worshippers who performed the pilgrimage in extreme heat.
According to The Guardian newspaper, the deaths reported by Thursday included those of 658 Egyptians and 630 unregistered pilgrims.
“About 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means must complete at least once. The Hajj, whose timing is determined by the lunar Islamic calendar, fell again this year during the oven-like Saudi summer,” the newspaper reported.
The unregistered victims include those unable to join the Hajj through regular channels due to the high cost of official permits.
Without permits, they would have lacked access to the air-conditioned spaces provided for the 1.8 million authorised pilgrims to cool down.
Country actions
In the case of Somalia, the government has confirmed the demise of at least six pilgrims during Hajj, via the Hajj Affairs Office, which is headed by Khadar Dahir.
”Six of our pilgrims, including elderly individuals, have lost their lives during the Hajj pilgrimage. The extreme heat this year has made the pilgrimage particularly challenging,” he said in a media address in Saudi Arabia, as reported by Mustaqbal Media.
Pakistan and Indonesia also confirmed more deaths on Thursday, alongside countries including Somalia, Tunisia, Sudan, Senegal, Malaysia, Jordan, India, Iran, and Iraq.
Pakistan had about 150,000 pilgrims, out of whom 58 had been confirmed dead by Thursday, while Indonesia had 240,000 pilgrims, 183 of whom succumbed to the heat wave, its religious ministry said on Thursday.
Some countries have taken action following the deaths, among them Egypt and Tunisia.
Egypt’s President, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, has ordered that a “crisis cell” headed by the prime minister follow up on the deaths of the country’s pilgrims.
“There is a need for immediate coordination with the Saudi authorities to facilitate receiving the bodies of the deceased and streamline the process,” he said in a statement from his office.
Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked Brahim Chaibi, the minister of religious affairs, following widespread criticism after the deaths of dozens of citizens taking part in the pilgrimage, the presidency said on Friday.
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Posted by News Rangers
on Jun 2 2025. Filed under International, National.
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