Saudi Arabia announces the deaths of 1,300 Hajj pilgrims

Saudi Arabia — where Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca each year for Hajj — announced on June 23rd that more than 1,300 pilgrims died this year in “numerous cases” of heat stress. The country noted that “unauthorised” trips accounted for more than four out of five of the fatalities, CNN and agencies reported. 

“The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care,” the Saudi government wrote in a statement. “Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301.” It added that worshippers “walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort” and there were “several elderly and chronically ill individuals” among the deceased. 

Ahmed, a 44-year-old from Indonesia, said he saw many people falling ill and even dying from the heat. “Almost every few hundred metres, there was a body lying and covered with an ihram cloth,” he said.

READ: Israel blocks 2,500 Palestinians in Gaza from Hajj

This year’s Hajj saw temperatures to a record-setting 125 degrees Fahrenheit on June 24th. Unlicensed pilgrimages typically don’t include organised tour buses with air conditioning or easy access to water and food supplies. The government also suggested that the many unauthorised trips prolonged the officiation of the death toll due to complications in the identification process.

“Identification [was] completed despite the initial lack of personal information or identification documents,” the statement read. “Proper processes were followed for identification, burial, and honouring the deceased, with death certificates provided.”

Each year Saudi Arabia requires pilgrims to acquire a licence to legally access Mecca out of the 1.8 million available. Due to the scarcity of licences compared to the volume of worshippers, they can cost several thousand US dollars. 

In response to the statement, the Egyptian government vowed on June 22nd to revoke the licences of 16 Hajj tourism companies facilitating illegal pilgrimages and refer their managers to the public prosecutor. It is suspected that hundreds of Egyptians are among this year’s dead.

CNN and agencies