At least 22 pilgrims die during “hajj” in Mecca, Saudi Arabia warns of temperatures close to 50°C

Jordan reported that 14 of its nationals died of “sunstroke due to the extreme heat wave” during the pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Saudi Arabia warned on Monday June 17 of extreme temperatures in Mecca, where the great Muslim pilgrimage of “hajj” ends. This annual rite, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, was marked by more than 2,700 cases of“heat exhaustion” for Sunday alone, according to the Ministry of Health. At least 22 deaths have been reported by Jordanian, Iranian and Senegalese authorities.

“The holy places today record the highest temperatures since the start of the hajj, which can reach 49 degrees, and we advise God’s guests not to expose themselves to the sun”, the Saudi Ministry of Health said on Monday, according to state television. The temperature even reached 51.8 degrees in Mecca, according to the local weather forecast.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that 14 Jordanian pilgrims had died “after suffering sunstroke due to the extreme heat wave” and that 17 others were “missing”. Tehran reported the deaths of five Iranian pilgrims, without specifying the cause of their deaths, while Dakar said three Senegalese pilgrims had also died.

This year, the hajj attracted around 1.8 million pilgrims, including 1.6 million from abroad, according to Saudi authorities. On Monday, in Mina, pilgrims sprinkled their heads with water, while authorities distributed cold drinks and chocolate ice creams which melted quickly. Azza Hamid Brahim, a 61-year-old Egyptian, said she saw motionless bodies on the side of the road leading to the steles representing Satan. “It seemed like the Last Judgment, the end of the world”she commented.

Arzu Farhaj, from Pakistan, said she struggled to find help for a woman who was lying on the side of the road. “People were passing by”indifferent, she explained. “We asked security to call an ambulance or something, but there was no such thing.” The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and Muslims who can afford it must perform it at least once in their lives.