Alsobrooks mourns American couple killed in extreme heat during Hajj pilgrimage

Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks confirmed that a Maryland couple was among more than 1,300 people who died in extreme temperatures during the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Alsobrooks shared the “devastating news” of the deaths of Alhaji Alieu Dausy and Haja Isatu Wurie in a statement on X over the weekend. She described the couple as “beloved members of #TeamAlsobrooks” who died during a pilgrimage to Mecca due to extreme heat.”

“Haja Isatu Wurie was an incredibly active member of our community,” Alsobrooks wrote. “She was involved in several community organizations and had a transformative impact that was felt both locally and globally.”

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their families during this difficult time,” Alsobrooks added. “Their loss is profound and we will miss them greatly.”

A spokesperson confirmed to WJZ-TV that Wurie was a volunteer for Alsobrooks’ Senate campaign. The couple’s daughter, Saida Wurie, told CNN she was told her 65-year-old mother and 71-year-old father died on June 15 of “natural causes.” An official at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia said “the natural cause of death may have been heat stroke,” she said. “People said it was over 100 degrees,” she added.

Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel confirmed that 1,301 people had died during the hajj this year. More than three-quarters of them were pilgrims without permits who had walked long distances in the scorching heat, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA reported on Sunday. Those without permits did not have adequate protection from the scorching temperatures, the report added.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, meaning that all Muslims who are able must make the journey to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lives. During the five-day pilgrimage, which began on June 14, temperatures in Mecca reached a sweltering 50 degrees Celsius last week.

The horrifying death toll comes as more than 1,400 heat records have been broken around the world in recent days, according to the National Meteorological and Meteorological Agency (NAMA). Scientists also warn that deadly temperatures are likely to become more common as a result of climate-warming fossil fuel emissions.

Extreme temperature warnings were in effect for more than 100 million Americans on Sunday due to a spreading heat dome. The Mid-Atlantic states are expected to see some relief on Monday, while the Southeast and southern Plains are expected to continue to see sweltering heat early this week, according to the National Weather Service, which is forecasting temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some areas of states such as Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana could face “extreme” heat risks on Tuesday, meteorologists warned, given the expected duration of the high temperatures and their unusual nature for this time of year.