On Wednesday, a diplomat in Saudi Arabia reported that 68 Indian nationals perished during this year's haj pilgrimage, which was characterized by extreme heat, raising the total death toll to over 600. The diplomat, who requested anonymity, informed AFP, stating, 'We have confirmed around 68 dead... Some are due to natural causes, and many were elderly pilgrims. Others are assumed to be due to the weather conditions.'
This update follows reports from two Arab diplomats on Tuesday, who told AFP that 550 deaths had occurred during the haj, a mandatory Islamic pilgrimage for all capable Muslims. The figure included 323 Egyptians and 60 Jordanians, with one diplomat noting that nearly all the Egyptians died 'because of heat'. Fatalities have also been confirmed by Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, though the causes were often unspecified.
The total reported deaths so far amount to 645, according to an AFP tally. Last year, over 200 pilgrims were reported dead, mostly from Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has not disclosed fatality information but reported over 2,700 cases of 'heat exhaustion' on Sunday alone. The diplomat who confirmed the Indian fatalities also mentioned missing Indian pilgrims, without providing a specific number. He noted, 'This happens every year... We can't say it's abnormally high this year,' adding that the situation is similar to last year and more details will emerge in the coming days.
For several years, the hajj has coincided with the scorching Saudi summer. A recent Saudi study indicated that temperatures in the ritual areas are increasing by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade.
