At least 14 Jordanian and five Iranian pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia during the annual hajj pilgrimage, which is taking place in scorching heat. The annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, began on Friday in Mecca with the participation of more than 1.8 million faithful, most of them from abroad. This year it takes place in the middle of summer, in one of the hottest regions in the world, with temperatures expected to reach 46 degrees today.
Saudi authorities have not provided details on the number of cases of hyperthermia seen among pilgrims, but more than 10,000 were recorded last year, including 10% heat stroke, the most serious case. “Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died and another 17 disappeared while performing the hajj rituals,” announced the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, according to a statement published by the official Petra news agency. The 14 pilgrims died “after suffering from heat stroke”, she added. “The ministry is following with the relevant Saudi authorities the procedures for burying the pilgrims and transporting the bodies of those whose families wish them to be transferred to the kingdom,” she said, adding that the search for the 17 missing pilgrims continues.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pirhossein Koolivand, said that “five Iranian pilgrims lost their lives (…) in Mecca and Medina during this year’s hajj”, without immediately specifying the circumstances of their deaths.
