At least 550 pilgrims have died during the hajj, underscoring the gruelling nature of the pilgrimage which again unfolded in scorching temperatures this year.
At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, the two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries’ responses told AFP.
“All of them [the Egyptians] died because of heat” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, adding that the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca.
At least 60 Jordanians have died, the diplomats said, up from an official tally of 41 given earlier on Tuesday by Amman.
Per NPR, more than 1.8 million Muslims performed Hajj in 2024.
550 represents 0.03%, which isn’t too bad…except that Mecca is almost certainly geared toward preparing people for heat and treating heat problems. I suspect a great many of them end up with increased chronic problems (cardiovascular or kidney problems).
Dying on Hajj might be considered one of the better ways to go for those who are religiously motivated to be there in the first place.
They’re dead all-the-same. The first iteration in adaptation is thicker skin …