Over 500 Hajj pilgrims die in Mecca amid temperatures soar above 50 degrees

Media outlets in Saudi Arabia have reported the death of over 550 Hajj pilgrims due to temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius during the Hajj rituals in Mecca.

According to reports, at least 320 of the deceased were Egyptian citizens, most of whom lost their lives due to the extreme heat.

The French news agency, citing two Arab diplomats, reported, “323 Egyptian pilgrims lost their lives due to the heat. Except for one person who died in a crowd collision. These statistics are related to the morgue of a hospital in the Al-Ma’aisim neighborhood of Mecca.”

These diplomats stated that at least 60 Jordanian pilgrims lost their lives, bringing the total death toll during the Hajj rituals to 577.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that Cairo is cooperating with Saudi authorities to search for Egyptians who have gone missing during the Hajj.

Saudi Arabian authorities stated that more than two thousand pilgrims who fell ill due to the heat have been treated.

Last year, 240 pilgrims from various countries lost their lives during the Hajj rituals, with the majority being Indonesian citizens.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian National Meteorological Center announced Tuesday’s air temperature reached 51.8 degrees Celsius at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

Reports also indicate that pilgrims from Indonesia, Iran, and Senegal have lost their lives during the Hajj rituals.

This year, approximately one and a half million people have traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj rituals.

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