Over 1,000 Deaths In High-Temperature Hajj Pilgrimage

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they arrive to cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina, near th

During this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, more than 1,000 individuals lost their lives due to extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom. The fatalities included pilgrims from various countries, with over half of the deaths being people from Egypt. The Egyptian government announced the death of 31 authorized pilgrims due to chronic diseases, while an additional 630 Egyptians reportedly died during the pilgrimage, with many of them buried in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has not officially commented on the deaths, but reports indicate that the fatalities also included pilgrims from Indonesia, India, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Malaysia, and the United States. The deaths were attributed to the scorching heat, with temperatures reaching as high as 49 degrees Celsius in Mecca and surrounding areas.