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The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca saw a death toll of 645, including 68 Indians, largely due to extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 51.8C (125F).
Despite Saudi Arabia's efforts in crowd control and security, the large number of attendees makes it difficult to ensure everyone's safety.
A study suggests that climate change could further exacerbate the issue, pushing temperatures above the "extreme danger threshold" during future Hajj events.

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The causes of death ranged from natural causes to weather conditions

68 Indians among 645 Hajj pilgrims who died in Mecca 

By Chanshimla Varah

Jun 20, 2024

11:30 am

What's the story

A Saudi Arabia diplomat confirmed on Wednesday that 68 Indian nationals were among the over 600 pilgrims who lost their lives during this year's hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. The causes of death ranged from natural causes to weather conditions. The diplomat stated, "We have confirmed around 68 dead... Some are because of natural causes and we had many old-age pilgrims. And some are due to the weather conditions, that's what we assume."

Pilgrim fatalities

Updated death toll includes Egyptians and Jordanians

The updated death toll was disclosed after two Arab diplomats informed AFP on Tuesday that 550 deaths had been recorded during the hajj. The figure included 323 Egyptians and 60 Jordanians, with one diplomat noting that almost all the Egyptians succumbed "due to heat." Fatalities have also been confirmed by Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. Temperatures reached at least 51.8C (125F) in the shade in Mecca, as massive groups of Muslims took the annual pilgrimage journey.

Health concerns

Heat exhaustion cases reported amid Hajj pilgrimage

Saudi Arabia has not released specific information on the fatalities but reported over 2,700 cases of "heat exhaustion" on Sunday alone. The anonymous diplomat who confirmed the Indian fatalities also mentioned that some Indian pilgrims were missing, without providing an exact number. He stated, "This happens every year...We can't say that it is abnormally high this year. It's somewhat similar to last year but we will know more in the coming days."

Study

Climate change can exacerbate issue 

Even though Saudi has invested billions in crowd control and security measures for the yearly five-day pilgrimage, it is challenging to guarantee everyone's safety due to the large number of attendees. The risk can increase due to climate change. A 2019 study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology experts found that even if the world mitigates the effects of climate change, the Hajj would be held in temperatures above an "extreme danger threshold" from 2047 to 2052 and 2079 to 2086.