At least 1,300 pilgrims died during this year’s Muslim Hajj pilgrimage. This is stated by Saudi authorities in the first official statement from the country since the information about a large number of deaths came.
In the past, several countries have reported more than 1,100 deaths.
The temperature is said to have sometimes climbed up to 52 degrees in Mecca. Many of the dead are pilgrims who, for financial reasons, did not register, which means they did not have access to the air-conditioned spaces established by the Saudi authorities.
Over 1.8 million people attended this year’s edition of the religious gathering, which concluded on Wednesday. Every year, hundreds of pilgrims die in connection with the hajj, but this year’s pilgrimage was held during an unusually intense heat wave.
The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, which form the basis of the religion. All healthy Muslims who can afford it are expected to make the trip to Mecca in western Saudi Arabia at least once in their lifetime.