Hajj 2024: Fresh details emerge as19 pilgrims die, 17 missing in Saudi Arabia

• Authorities from Jordan and Iran reported on Sunday, June 16, that at least 19 pilgrims from their countries have died during the Hajj pilgrimage
• Jordan's foreign ministry announced that 14 Jordanian pilgrims have died, and 17 others are missing
• Separately, Iranian Red Crescent Chief Pirhossein Koolivand reported that 5 Iranian pilgrims lost their lives in Mecca and Medina during the 2024 Hajj

Makkah, Saudi Arabia - Authorities from Jordan and Iran reported on Sunday, June 16, that at least 19 pilgrims from their countries have died during the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid soaring temperatures in the region.

Jordan's foreign ministry announced that “Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims have died and 17 others are missing” while performing hajj rituals.

Hajj 2024, Mecca Saudi Arabia Photo credit: Nurphoto
Source: Getty Images

The ministry later confirmed that the 14 pilgrims succumbed to “sunstroke due to the extreme heat wave.”

Iranian report on 5 deaths

Separately, Iranian Red Crescent Chief, Pirhossein Koolivand, reported that “Five Iranian pilgrims have lost their lives so far in Mecca and Medina during the hajj this year,” without specifying the causes of death, Punch reported.

The Hajj, one of the largest religious gatherings globally, is a mandatory pilgrimage for all Muslims with the means to perform it at least once in their lifetime, being one of the five pillars of Islam.

Temperature challenge

This year, temperatures during the pilgrimage have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), impacting around 1.8 million participating Muslims. The outdoor and on-foot nature of many rituals poses significant challenges, particularly for the elderly.

Saudi Arabia has not released any information on fatalities.

However, the kingdom has implemented several heat mitigation measures, such as climate-controlled areas, water distribution, and advice to pilgrims on sun protection.

Nigerian death tolls

Two pilgrims from Kwara State, Salman Alade and Ayishat Ologele, reportedly died while on pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

These deaths were among thousands of Nigerians who travelled for the hajj pilgrimage, bringing the death toll among Kwara pilgrims to four, following the earlier deaths of Saliu Mohammed and Hawawu Mohammed in Madinah.

Recorded fatalities in Hajj 2023

Last year’s hajj saw at least 240 fatalities, many from Indonesia, as reported by various countries without specifying causes of death.

Additionally, more than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded, with 10% being heat strokes.

A Saudi study indicated that regional temperatures are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius each decade, suggesting that worsening heat may be outpacing current mitigation efforts.

Nigerian female pilgrim dies in Madina

On Sunday, June 9, the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Board stated that an investigation conducted by Saudi Arabian authorities into the death of one of its pilgrims revealed that the pilgrim committed death in Madina.

According to the statement, another pilgrim from the state also died in Madina.

One of the deceased, identified simply as Hajia Hawawu, died as a result of what the Saudi authorities found to be “an unfortunate suicidal episode from the rooftop of her apartment in Madina.”

It further stated that the other pilgrim who died in Madina, Saliu Mohammed, died in an intensive care unit of a public hospital in Madina after suddenly falling ill.

Source: Legit.ng