Saudi Arabia: 1,301 pilgrims died during hajj

Saudi Arabia says more than 1,300 pilgrims died during the hajj pilgrimage which took place during intense heat in the country.

Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, June 23, 2024, noted that most of the deceased did not have official permits.

“Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

A tally last week, based on official statements and reports from diplomats involved in their countries’ responses, put the toll at more than 1,100.

The dead came from more than 10 countries stretching from the United States to Indonesia, and some governments are continuing to update their totals.

Arab diplomats told AFP last week that Egyptians accounted for 658 deaths – 630 of them unregistered pilgrims.

The diplomats said the cause of death in most cases was heat-related.

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Temperatures in Mecca this year climbed as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Saudi Arabia’s national meteorological centre.

Riyadh had not publicly commented on the deaths or provided its own toll until Sunday.

On Friday, however, a senior Saudi official gave a partial toll of 577 deaths for the two busiest days of hajj: June 15, when pilgrims gathered for hours of prayers in the blazing sun on Mount Arafat, and June 16, when they participated in the “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina.

The official also defended Riyadh’s response, saying: “The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgement on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks.”

The Saudi health minister, Fahd Al-Jalajel, on Sunday, described the management of the hajj this year as “successful”.

He said the health system “provided more than 465,000 specialised treatment services, including 141,000 services to those who didn’t obtain official authorisation to perform hajj,” according to SPA, which summarised an interview he gave to the state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya channel.

Jalajel did not specify how many deaths Saudi officials attributed to heat.

SPA added: “The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care.

“Among the deceased were several elderly and chronically ill individuals.”

The Star