At least 530 Egyptians have died and 31 are missing during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, where extreme heat has taken a heavy toll, according to medical and security sources. Temperatures in the Saudi city have at times surpassed 51 degrees Celsius (124 Fahrenheit).
A medical source with the official Egyptian Hajj delegation noted that most of the deceased were not formally registered, preventing them from accessing designated tents. A Reuters witness reported seeing thousands of pilgrims exposed to the sun along the path to Mount Arafat, a key ritual of the pilgrimage.
The bodies of the deceased were covered with Ihram cloth, the simple garments worn by pilgrims, until medical teams arrived.
The Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is a mandatory journey for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it, symbolizing Islamic faith and unity. This year’s pilgrimage, which began last Friday, is expected to attract nearly 2 million pilgrims.
Climate scientists have warned that rising temperatures increasingly threaten the pilgrimage. Though heat-related deaths have been recorded for centuries, Egyptian authorities have yet to confirm the death toll.
Egypt’s foreign and emigration ministries are cooperating with Saudi officials to search for the missing and address casualty reports.