14 Jordanian Haj pilgrims die due to 'extreme heatwave', 17 missing
At least 14 Jordanian pilgrims have succumbed to death while on the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to an "extreme heat wave."
Jordan's foreign ministry said on Sunday that "14 Jordanian pilgrims died, and 17 others were missing" during the Haj pilgrimage. It stated that its nationals passed away "after suffering a stroke due to the extreme heat wave," news agency AFP reported.
The ministry said that it has been coordinating with Saudi authorities to either bury the dead in Saudi Arabia or transfer them to Jordan.
Iran also reported that a total of five Iranian pilgrims lost their lives during the Haj pilgrimage; however, they did not specify the cause behind their deaths.
Saudi Arabia has not released any official statement regarding the fatalities yet. However, Saudi Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al-Abdulaali told reporters that over 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat waves on Sunday.
He also said that the number was expected to spike and requested pilgrims to avoid going out during peak hours (between 11 am and 3 pm) and stay hydrated. "Heat stress is the greatest challenge," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press in its report.
The temperature in Mecca is predicted to reach 47 degrees Celsius on Monday, the news agency Reuters reported.
The hajj pilgrimage will conclude on Wednesday. It is one of the largest mass gatherings across the globe, with over 1.8 million pilgrims expected to take part this year, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics.
During last year's Haj, at least 240 people, many from Indonesia, died, with various countries reporting the figures but not specifying causes of death. Over 2,000 people experienced heat stress during the event.
A Saudi official told AFP this week that more than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded last year, with 10 per cent being heatstroke.
