The death toll during the Hajj in Mecca has exceeded one thousand people due to the heat wave, The Independent reported on Thursday.
“More than a thousand people have died during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, with temperatures in Mecca reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius at their peak in recent days,” the publication reports.
The Saudi authorities have not yet provided data on the exact number of deaths during the pilgrimage, the newspaper notes.
Among the dead are citizens of Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia and some other countries. For example, the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that 183 citizens of the country died during the Hajj.
Last year, it was reported that about 240 people died during the Hajj due to heat, crowds and other circumstances.
The Hajj took place this year from June 14 to 19. More than 1.83 million people took part in it. The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, where the main shrine of Islam, the Kaaba, is located. It takes place at the beginning of the twelfth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It is believed that at least once in a lifetime, every true Muslim should perform the Hajj, if his or her physical health and financial condition allow it.
