Tragedy Strikes Hajj Pilgrimage Amid Extreme Heat

The official death toll from this year’s Hajj pilgrimage has soared to almost 500, and the true number could be more than double that. Reports indicate that as many as 600 Egyptian worshipers perished en route to Mecca amid extreme heat.

The fatalities include at least 14 Malaysians, 165 Indonesians, 68 Jordanians, 35 Pakistanis, 35 Tunisians, 11 Iranians, and 98 Indians, according to authorities in each country. Additionally, 22 Jordanians are hospitalized, and 16 are still missing, as reported by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.

The Iranian Red Crescent has also reported dozens of Iranians hospitalized due to heatstroke and other conditions, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. 

A CNN tally brings the latest official death toll to at least 460, though this number is expected to rise significantly. Both Saudi Arabia and Egypt have yet to release official figures, and the deaths of unregistered pilgrims are not yet accounted for.

Pilgrims endured dangerously high temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) this year. The Egyptian presidency announced a crisis unit, led by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, to support the families of the deceased. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has instructed the unit to expedite coordination with Saudi Arabian authorities for the return of the bodies.

The Egyptian cabinet's statement on Thursday put the official number of dead Egyptians at 28, but Reuters and other outlets report that the true figure may be as high as 600. Egyptian officials are working to gather an accurate count, complicated by the large number of unregistered pilgrims.

Thousands more pilgrims were treated for heatstroke as an estimated 1.8 million Muslims faced the extreme conditions. Despite safety measures such as cooling stations, umbrellas, and hydration campaigns, the event was overshadowed by tragedy, raising questions about the adequacy of these measures.

The plight of unregistered worshipers, who undertake the pilgrimage without access to official facilities, highlights the dangers they face. Malaysia’s Minister for Religious Affairs, Dr. Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, reported that most of their pilgrims died from heart disease, pneumonia, and blood infection, according to the state-run Bernama News Agency.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced the deaths of 98 Indian nationals, citing natural illnesses, chronic conditions, and old age. Six Indian nationals died amid the extreme heat at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon, and another four died due to unspecified accidents.

The Saudi government stated that more than 2,700 people had been treated for heatstroke. Meanwhile, hundreds took to social media to search for their missing loved ones. 

This year’s Hajj saw over 1.8 million participants, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. While deaths among pilgrims are not uncommon (over 200 occurred last year), the extreme temperatures this year have made the situation particularly dire.

The Hajj season varies each year according to the Islamic calendar. This year it fell in June, one of the hottest months in the kingdom. The Saudi government advised pilgrims to avoid performing the “stoning of the devil” ritual during peak heat hours and deployed 1,600 medical personnel specifically for heatstroke, along with 30 rapid response teams and 5,000 health and first aid volunteers.

Performing Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring every Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey to Mecca at least once in their life. The pilgrimage includes numerous rituals symbolizing human equality and unity before God.

The Hajj is a significant source of prestige for Saudi Arabia’s king, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and a considerable revenue source for the Saudi economy. Following King Salman bin Abdulaziz's ascension in 2015, Saudi Arabia launched a $21 billion project to expand the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and in 2016, then Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman identified the pilgrimage as a key component of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

While oil sales remain the dominant revenue stream, generating close to a billion dollars a day, the economic benefits of the pilgrimage, though currently marginal, have significant untapped potential. Forecasts suggest pilgrimage revenues could average around $30 billion a year, creating 100,000 jobs for Saudis as the kingdom aims to attract 30 million pilgrims annually by 2030.