Saudi Arabia has reported more than 1,300 deaths during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage due to extreme temperatures at Islamic holy sites near Mecca, officials announced on Sunday.
Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel stated that 83% of the fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who endured high temperatures to perform rituals. He confirmed 95 pilgrims remain hospitalized, with some airlifted to Riyadh for treatment.
Identification delays were noted due to lack of documents among deceased pilgrims, who were buried in Mecca without a detailed breakdown.
Egyptian nationals comprised the largest group of casualties, with over 660 fatalities, predominantly unauthorized pilgrims. Egypt has revoked licenses of 16 travel agencies involved in facilitating unauthorized pilgrimages.
Other victims included 165 pilgrims from Indonesia, 98 from India, and others from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Malaysia, and two from the US.
Historically high temperatures, reaching up to 49°C, contributed to pilgrims fainting during rituals such as the symbolic stoning of the devil. The Hajj, a cornerstone of Islam, attracted over 1.83 million participants this year.
Despite Saudi Arabia’s extensive safety measures, the sheer scale of the pilgrimage and climate change pose ongoing challenges to ensuring participant safety.
