Hajj: 19 die, others missing as heatwave forces Saudi Arabia to reschedule stoning rite  

No fewer than 19 pilgrims have died and many others reported missing due to extreme temperatures that crippled hajj rituals at the sacred city of Muna, Saudi Arabia. 
 
Consequently, Saudi Arabia authorities declared a five-hour movement restriction at Muna, to reduce the impact of devastating weather conditions that escalated above 46 degrees Celsius, yesterday.
 
The stoning rite was also rescheduled for the later part of the day.  
   
Jordan’s foreign ministry, yesterday, confirmed that a significant percentage of her citizens on pilgrimage were part of those who lost their lives to the intense heat at Muna, where millions are residing to complete the stoning of the devil, among the mandatory rites.
  
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) warned that critical health implications precipitating the high temperature include heatstroke, sudden collapse and death.  
 
By the directives of the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, to ensure the well-being of pilgrims amid high temperatures and to prevent heat stress, a new health guideline prohibited pilgrims from proceeding to Jamarat Bridge for the ritual of throwing stones from 11 am to 4.00 pm.
 
The notice further hinted that security personnel would be stationed at camps to enforce this restriction and prevent any pilgrim from departing before 4.00 pm.
   
It added, “The Office of Hajj Affairs and service providers are tasked with ensuring compliance, and they will bear responsibility for any violations thereof. We pray for Allah’s protection over the pilgrims and the acceptance of their Hajj.”
 
NAHCON recently warned Nigerian pilgrims to avoid unnecessary exposure to the hot weather predicted to hit 50 degrees Celsius at Muna, one of the sacred sites where pilgrims cast pebbles against the devil. 
 
Earlier, about three Nigerian pilgrims had been confirmed dead and one was missing, as the rituals entered the final stage. Pilgrims will start returning to Makkah today after completing their pelting at Muna and subsequently terminate the exercise with the circumambulation of the holy Kaaba.
  
About 3,000 pilgrims were affected by heat strokes and exhaustion during their journeys to and from the Jamarat for the stoning rite.
 
Pilgrims from Africa were the least affected.
 
It was gathered that Saudi hospitals within the area were busy attending to patients. At the same time, further emergency calls to health officials were overwhelming, as some calls could not get immediate responses.
   
Head of Emergency Unit, through the Saudi Ministry of Health, Al-Shalhoub, said the 911 centre in the Makkah region received 78,872 calls on Sunday.
 
Most pilgrims whose tents were located at the end of Mina would have to walk 2.8 kilometres, an average of 100 minutes, to Jamarat.
 
A pilgrim said: “I saw many of them falling asleep as a result of the heat when I was walking to Jamarat. Mostly affected were the elderly and young non-Arabs, Europeans and Indians. Some died while some were rushed to the hospital.”

“The police and the ambulance services were overwhelmed with the number of cases related to heatwaves. Many were seen lying down, with people offering first aid mostly within a distance of 500metres.”
 
Saudi Ministry of Health puts the number affected by heat strokes and exhaustion at 2,764 pilgrims, blaming the development on non-adherence to instructions for drinking water and using an umbrella.