Over 300 Egyptian and 60 Jordanian Pilgrims Die During Hajj Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

During this year's annual Hajj pilgrimage in western Saudi Arabia, a tragic event unfolded as at least 323 Egyptian pilgrims lost their lives. The cause of these deaths was primarily attributed to heat-related illnesses, with one pilgrim succumbing to fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush.

Additional Casualties Reported

Adding to the somber toll, 60 Jordanians also tragically lost their lives during the pilgrimage, bringing the total reported deaths from various countries to 577, according to an AFP tally.

Impact of Climate Change

The Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, has been increasingly affected by climate change. A recent study revealed that temperatures in the area where rituals are performed have been rising at a rate of 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade. This factor has added to the challenges faced by pilgrims participating in the Hajj.

Scale of the Pilgrimage

This year, approximately 1.8 million pilgrims, with 1.6 million from abroad, participated in the Hajj pilgrimage. The massive scale of the event has posed logistical and safety challenges, particularly for unauthorized pilgrims attempting to save money by not securing official visas, and thus being unable to access essential facilities provided by Saudi authorities.

Unregistered Pilgrims

Reports indicate that a large number of unregistered Egyptian pilgrims contributed to the heightened death toll. Saudi officials had previously taken measures to clear hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca ahead of the Hajj, but the impact of this unauthorized participation was evident in the tragic outcome.

Various other countries, such as Indonesia, Iran, and Senegal, also reported deaths during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, underscoring the international impact of this devastating event.