According to press reports and foreign ministries, hundreds of visitors have perished during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, with temperatures soaring. Diplomats informed French outlet Agence France Presse (AFP) that at least 550 individuals lost their lives during Haj, with 323 being Egyptians, primarily due to heat-related illnesses. These figures could not be immediately verified by Reuters. The pilgrimage commenced on Friday, and Saudi state TV reported temperatures reaching up to 51.8ºC (125.2ºF) in the shade at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Monday. A study from 2024 in the Journal of Travel and Medicine suggests that rising global temperatures could surpass strategies to combat heat. Another 2019 study from Geophysical Research Letters indicates that as temperatures increase in arid Saudi Arabia due to climate change, Haj pilgrims face 'extreme danger'. Tunisian news agency Tunis Afrique Presse reported 35 Tunisian deaths during Haj, with many attributed to extreme heat, as family members shared on social media. Meanwhile, the Jordanian foreign ministry issued 41 burial permits for Jordanian pilgrims, having previously reported six deaths from heat stroke. Iranian state news outlet IRINN noted 11 deaths and 24 hospitalizations among Iranian pilgrims, without specifying causes. Additionally, three Senegalese citizens and 144 Indonesian citizens died during the pilgrimage, according to respective news agencies. A Saudi health official mentioned that no unusual fatalities had been observed among pilgrims despite the high temperatures, and over 2,700 pilgrims were treated for heat-related illnesses. An Egyptian pilgrim highlighted the challenges of performing rituals in extreme heat and crowding, with pilgrims using umbrellas for shade and advised to stay hydrated and avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours. Haj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for able-bodied Muslims, is one of the world's largest mass gatherings and is set to conclude on Wednesday, with over 1.8 million expected participants this year.