Hundreds of Hajj pilgrims die during deadly heatwave

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More than 500 people making the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca have died in the high temperatures, according to several sources, and the death toll continues to rise.

The AFP news agency reported that at least 320 of the dead were Egyptian citizens, while Reuters reported that the Indonesian Health Ministry recorded 144 deaths among citizens participating in the pilgrimage. Jordan, Senegal, Tunisia and Iran have also confirmed deaths.

The total death toll currently stands at around 550, almost double the number of last year’s pilgrimage. An estimated 1.8 million people took part in the 2024 event.

The sheer number of pilgrims taking part in the Hajj makes it a dangerous event. It is not uncommon for people to be crushed in crowds. However, Saudi authorities are increasingly having to take measures to protect people from temperatures that have reached up to 51°C this year.

For fear of heat stroke during the day, many pilgrims perform the rites of Hajj in the early morning or late evening hours.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, more than 2,760 pilgrims suffered sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone at the start of the first round of ritual stoning.

Experts believe that heat exhaustion and heat stroke will become more common in high temperatures. Symptoms include heavy sweating, dizziness, muscle cramps and vomiting. Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and occurs when the body can no longer sweat.

Security forces, paramedics and rescue workers were deployed in and around Mina, especially on roads and open spaces, to guide and assist pilgrims, treating many people for sunburn on their feet.