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No fewer than nineteen (19) Jordanian and Iranian pilgrims have died while on the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, and seventeen (17) declared missing, authorities from both countries said on Sunday.
Jordan Foreign Minister, Mohammad Al-Abbasi in a statement said, “Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died and 17 others were missing during the performance of hajj rituals."
AFP reports that the ministry later confirmed that the 14 died “after suffering sunstroke due to the extreme heat wave” as the temperature in the Kingdom soared.
Iranian Red Crescent Chief, Pirhossein Koolivand, separately said, “Five Iranian pilgrims have lost their lives so far in Mecca and Medina during the hajj this year,” without saying how they died.
The hajj, one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings, is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims with the means must perform it at least once.
Temperatures have pushed well past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during the annual pilgrimage that around 1.8 million Muslims are taking part in this year.
Many of the rituals are performed outdoors and on foot, creating challenges, especially among the elderly.
However, the kingdom has implemented heat mitigation measures, including climate-controlled areas. It distributes water and offers advice to pilgrims on protecting themselves from the sun.
Rocketparrot News reported that two Nigerian pilgrims from Kwara State, Salman Alade and Ayishat Ologele, died while in pilgrimage in Mecca.
Their deaths followed those of two other pilgrims – Saliu Mohammed and Hawawu Mohammed – whose cases were reported in Medina.
According to AFP, more than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded last year, 10 per cent of them heat stroke.
