How did more than 550 pilgrims die during the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca?

Mecca Hajj pilgrims death: Heat has wreaked havoc in Saudi Hajj pilgrimage, which is called the world's largest religious pilgrimage. The mercury has reached 52 degrees in Mecca. The scorching heat has killed more than 550 Hajj pilgrims. The death toll is shocking. Meanwhile, questions are being raised on the preparations of the Saudi government. Amidst the deaths of pilgrims from different countries, the Health Ministry of Saudi Arabia says that more than 2700 cases of illness due to the effect of heat have been registered.

In such a situation, the question is whether the reason for the deaths in the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is only the rising temperature or something else. The statements of diplomats in media reports tell another story. Their statements confirm that there is not one reason for the increase in the death toll.

How bad did the situation become?

Before understanding why so many deaths occurred in Mecca, know the situation there. On Tuesday, the Arab diplomat said, among the dead were 323 Egyptian citizens, who died especially due to heat-related problems.

The diplomat says that all the pilgrims from Egypt died due to heat, except one person who was injured in a minor crowd collision. The morgue of Mecca's Al-Muaisam hospital has also confirmed these figures. Apart from these, 60 Haj pilgrims from Jordan are reported dead. According to AFP report, the total number of deaths in different countries has now reached 577.

Why did 550 people die in Mecca?

First reason:

If you look for the reasons for the deaths in Mecca, you will find that a major reason for this is the rising temperature. The effect of climate change has also been seen on the Haj pilgrimage here. A recent study conducted in Saudi Arabia found that the temperature in religious places is increasing by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) every decade. According to the Saudi National Meteorological Center, the temperature of the Grand Mosque of Mecca reached 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Last year, 240 pilgrims, most of them Indonesians, died during the hajj. This year, Saudi authorities urged pilgrims to use umbrellas, stay hydrated and avoid the hot sun. This year, about 1.8 million pilgrims attended, 1.6 million of them from abroad.

Another reason:

Another increased risk of death has been attributed to unregistered pilgrims, who do not go through the official and expensive hajj visa procedures. As a result, they do not have the benefit of air conditioning and suffer the effects of the heat. An Egyptian diplomat says unregistered pilgrims have led to a higher death rate.

Saudi officials said hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims were evacuated from Mecca ahead of the hajj. Other countries, including Indonesia and Iran, also reported deaths, although most did not say whether they were heat-related.

Third reason:

In a media report, an official said, "Irregular pilgrims worsened the conditions in the camp. As a result, many services were disrupted. Many people were left without food, water or air conditioning, leading to heat-related deaths." On Tuesday, Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdul Rahman announced that health camps have been started for Hajj to prevent the outbreak of major diseases and deterioration of people's health.