On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced that over 1,300 pilgrims perished during the harsh heat-related hajj, with the majority of the dead lacking legal licenses.
“Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Based on official comments and reports from diplomats participating in their nations’ responses, an AFP assessment last week estimated the death toll at above 1,100.
From the United States to Indonesia, more than ten nations contributed to the dead, and several governments are still updating their tolls.
Last week, Arab diplomats informed AFP that 658 deaths were attributed to Egypt, with 630 of those deaths being unreported pilgrims.
According to the diplomats, heat-related deaths accounted for the majority of instances.
The national meteorological center of Saudi Arabia reports that this year’s temperatures in Mecca reached a high of 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit).
Until Sunday, Riyadh has not made any public remarks regarding the fatalities or disclosed its own toll.
A senior Saudi official, however, provided AFP on Friday with a partial mortality toll of 577 for the two busiest days of the hajj: June 15, when pilgrims gathered on Mount Arafat for hours of prayer under the scorching heat, and June 16, when they took part in the “stoning of the devil” ceremony in Mina.
“The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgement on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks,” the official added in defense of Riyadh’s response.
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