Deaths surge past 1,000 as hajj pilgrims suffer in 50C

More than 1,000 people have died during this year’s hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia – with temperatures having reached a peak of 51.8C in Mecca in recent days.

- JABED AHMED

Around 1.8 million Muslims have taken part in the days-long, mostly outdoor pilgrimage this year, which is a requirement of every Muslim able to partake at least once in their life. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is yet to comment on the official death toll, though reports suggest around 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the annual pilgrimage.

Hundreds of people lined up at the emergency complex in the al-Muaisem neighbourhood in Mecca to claim their loved ones’ bodies and find information about their missing family members. Outside the complex, an Egyptian man broke down when he heard his mother was among the dead. He cried for some time before reaching for his phone and calling their travel agent. “He left her to die,” he shouted, referring to the agent. The crowd tried to calm him down.