Death toll in Hajj 2024 tops 1,300; 100 Indians among dead | Top Updates | World News

As Asian countries suffer from heatwaves, the death toll from this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has risen to over 1,300.

Saudi authorities announced on Sunday that a total of 1,301 pilgrims died during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage as believers were exposed to extremely high temperatures this year.

Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said 83 percent of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances in scorching temperatures to perform hajj rituals in the holy city of Mecca and its surroundings.

Authorities said the identification process for many deceased pilgrims had been delayed because they did not have the necessary documents with them. Some of the dead were buried in Mecca, authorities said.

Hajj pilgrimage tragedy – Top updates

1. The death toll from this year’s hajj pilgrimage passed 1,300 on Sunday, Saudi authorities said. Most of the pilgrims were unauthorized, leading to significant delays in identifying the dead.
2. More than 660 Egyptians were among the dead. According to the authorities in Cairo, all but 31 were illegal pilgrims.
3. Saudi Arabia’s statement said 83 percent of those killed “did not have permission to perform the hajj” and “walked long distances in direct sunlight without adequate protection or comfort.” The majority of those killed were elderly and chronically ill, authorities said.
4. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday that 98 of the total deceased were Indians. MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a press conference: “So far this year, 175,000 Indian pilgrims have performed Hajj… We have 98 Indian pilgrims who have died during Hajj…”
5. Extreme heat is considered the main cause of hundreds of deaths and injuries during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. The temperature in Mecca rose to a record-breaking 50 degrees Celsius on Monday.
6. The death toll has increased this year due to the large number of illegal pilgrims who lacked access to adequate amenities and air-conditioned areas and were therefore more exposed to the heat.
7. In Saudi Arabia, temperatures reached 52 degrees Celsius this year as the majority of unauthorized Hajj pilgrims traveled through the desert on foot.
8. Hajj permits are allocated to countries according to a quota system, but each of these permits costs thousands of dollars. Because of this, many pilgrims choose to make the pilgrimage illegally, which denies them access to infrastructure and transportation.

(With inputs from ANI)