Hajj heatwave catastrophe: Over 900 pilgrims die in Mecca

As reported by AFP, citing data from the Al-Muaisem Hospital morgue in Mecca, of the 922 deaths, the majority were due to the heat.

- All Egyptian victims except one died due to the heat - said an Arab diplomat. So far, the death of at least 60 Jordanians has also been recorded. Among the 600 Egyptian victims were many pilgrims who came to Mecca avoiding official registration, thereby having no access to air-conditioned areas - French media reported.

AFP contacted an anonymous diplomat who reported that among the fatalities are 68 Indian citizens. - Some deaths are the result of natural causes; we have many elderly pilgrims - he said, not specifying how many Indian citizens died due to the heat and how many due to natural causes.

Although Saudi authorities urged to drink plenty of water, stay under umbrellas and avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day - between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern Time - long-lasting rituals, which are a necessary part of the pilgrimage, require spending many hours outside.

A study published last month in Saudi Arabia indicated that climate change increasingly affects pilgrims. Temperatures rise by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade in areas crucial for religious rituals. The dates of the Hajj are movable; therefore, in some years, the pilgrimage takes place in the hottest months of the year.

Participation in the Hajj is an obligation for every devout Muslim. As a result, the pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world. According to the Saudi Statistics Office, this year, over 1.8 million pilgrims participated, of which 1.6 million were from abroad.

Due to, among other things, panic outbreaks, tent fires, and heat, around 4,000 Hajj participants have died over the past 30 years. The biggest tragedy occurred in 2015 when about 2,400 people were suffocated or trampled near Mecca. Last year, at least 240 pilgrims died, mostly from Indonesia.