Confirmed toll rises among pilgrims hit by extreme Hajj heat

DPA
·2 min read
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Muslim pilgrims head to perform the stoning of the devil, known as "Ramy Al Jamarat", a symbolic ritual held during the Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims from all over the world gather in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam that must be carried out by all adult Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. -/Saudi Press Agency/dpa

The confirmed death toll among Muslim pilgrims hit by soaring temperatures during the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia continued to rise on Friday.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry said that 75 Jordanian pilgrims had died due to heatstroke, while Tunisia's Religious Affairs Ministry put the North African country's toll at 49.

Hundreds of Egyptians have reportedly died, according to unconfirmed reports, however Cairo has not released any official toll.

Egypt said it sent consular teams to collect information on Egyptians at hospitals in Mecca and the nearby holy sites.

Earlier in the week, Iran said 11 of its citizens were among the dead and Senegal confirmed three had died.

The temperature in Mecca and other nearby holy sites hovered around 50 degrees Celsius through Tuesday's final pilgrimage day.

Arab governments said that most of the pilgrims who died were not registered with the concerned authorities and have travelled on tourist visas, which made it harder to find them.

Some 1.8 million pilgrims took part in this year's Hajj. The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand mosque in the holy city of Mecca, during the Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims from all over the world gather in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam that must be carried out by all adult Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. -/Saudi Press Agency/dpa