More than 500 pilgrims including Africans have died from heat-related illnesses during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
The five-day event begun on Friday with Saudi authorities issuing guidelines to protect pilgrims against the heatwave.
On Monday, temperatures rose to 51.8 degrees Celsius in the shade at the Grand Mosque in the Islam’s holiest city.
The state TV of Saudi Arabia has reported that medics and official believed that the death toll could be as high as 600.
While Saudi Arabia has not given an official death toll, and the cause of death on the lists circulating is not named, families said many of them were due to extreme heat.
Most of the Hajj rituals take place outdoors and requires walking considerable distances between the sites.
The safety measures instituted include misting towers, cooling stations, medical tents, and hydration points.
Officials advised pilgrims to use umbrellas and keep themselves hydrated, to stay out of the sun in the middle of the day, and to take rest periods between rituals to avoid heat fatigue.
But despite all the precautions, the death toll from the heat is expected to rise. On Wednesday, hundreds of people continued searching for missing relatives at Saudi hospitals.
Last year, more than 8,400 pilgrims were treated for heat exhaustion or heat stroke, with nearly half of them hospitalised.
All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do so.
More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj in 2024, including more than 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries, according to the Saudi Hajj authorities.
Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on crowd control and safety measures for those attending the annual five-day pilgrimage, but the sheer number of participants makes ensuring their safety difficult.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
