At least 68 Indian nationals have been confirmed dead during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, as reported by a diplomat in Saudi Arabia. In addition to these fatalities, several Indians are currently reported missing. This tragic news coincides with record-high temperatures in the holy city of Mecca, where a total of 550 pilgrims have died this year.
"We have confirmed around 68 dead. Some of these deaths are due to natural causes, as many of the deceased were elderly pilgrims. Others, we assume, are due to the extreme weather conditions," the diplomat told news agency AFP, speaking on the condition of anonymity regarding the death toll of Indian pilgrims.
The diplomat also noted that a number of Indian nationals are missing, although he declined to provide specific numbers.
"This is a recurring occurrence every year," he remarked, indicating that the situation is consistent with previous years, and more details will be forthcoming.
The Hajj pilgrimage, a central religious duty in Islam, draws millions of Muslims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Every Muslim is required to undertake this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able.
This year's pilgrimage was particularly challenging due to the intense heat, with temperatures reaching their highest levels in decades. A Saudi study has shown that temperatures in the pilgrimage area have increased by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade. In 2023, over 200 pilgrims died, and more than 2,000 suffered from heat-related stress as temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius.
Reports from other Arab diplomats on June 18 indicated that 550 pilgrims died during the Hajj of 2024, including 323 Egyptians and 60 Jordanians, primarily due to the extreme heat.
Fatalities have also been reported among pilgrims from Iran, Indonesia, Tunisia, Senegal, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq. However, the authorities from these countries have not yet commented on the deaths.
