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645 Hajj pilgrims died between June 12 and 19 due to heat in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Which includes 68 Indians. A Saudi Arabian diplomat gave this information to news agency AFP on condition of anonymity.
Many Indians are also missing, the diplomat said. Among the dead were many elderly pilgrims. However, Saudi Arabia has not released any official statement on the death toll due to heat stroke. Hajj pilgrimage started from June 14. Today Wednesday was the last day.
The temperature in Makkah was between 46 and 50 degrees Celsius during the last 3 days. On June 17, the temperature in the Grand Mosque of Makkah was recorded at 51.8 degrees Celsius. According to Saudi Arabian officials, climate change is having a profound effect on Mecca. The average temperature here is increasing by 0.4 degrees Celsius every 10 years.
The paramedical team admitted many sick pilgrims to the hospital.
Many people fainted due to heat during Hajj pilgrimage.
According to The Guardian, 323 of the dead are Egyptian nationals, while 60 are Jordanian. Apart from this, pilgrims from Iran, Indonesia and Senegal have also died. 2 Arab diplomats told AFP that most of the deaths were due to heat illness.
Pilgrims coming for Haj are being sprinkled with cold water.
2 thousand pilgrims are being treated in Saudi
Egypt’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that he was conducting an operation to find the missing people together with Saudi authorities. Saudi Arabia said nearly 2,000 pilgrims were being treated for heat illness.
On June 17, the temperature in the Grand Mosque of Makkah was recorded at 51.8 degrees Celsius. According to Saudi Arabian officials, climate change is having a huge impact on Mecca. The average temperature here is increasing by 0.4 degrees Celsius every 10 years.
Last year 240 people died
At the beginning of last year, 240 Haj pilgrims died. Most of these were from Indonesia. Saudi advises all travelers to use an umbrella. Apart from this, they are being asked to drink water continuously and avoid sunlight.
However, most of the Hajj rituals are performed during the day, including the Dua on Mount Arafat. For this the pilgrims have to stay outside in the sun for a long time. Pilgrims said that during Hajj they often see sick pilgrims on the side of the road. Many people have died. There is a constant rush of ambulances on the Hajj route.
Pilgrims were seen going for Hajj with umbrellas amidst the scorching heat.
Pilgrims come to perform Hajj even without a visa
About 18 lakh pilgrims have arrived for Haj this year. Out of them 16 lakh people are from other countries. Thousands of pilgrims go on Haj every year, who have visas for this purpose only. Due to lack of money, these pilgrims reach Makkah by wrong route.
Hajj pilgrims who reached Mecca in the scorching heat are pouring water on their heads to cool down.
Saudi diplomats told news agency AFP that Egyptian pilgrims were among the dead because many of them had not registered for Hajj. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia expelled thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca.
Hosting the Hajj is a matter of honor for the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi King is also known as the Custodian of the 2 Holy Mosques.
What is Hajj?
Hajj is one of the five duties in Islam. According to beliefs, every Muslim must perform this duty at least once in his life. According to BBC News, in the year 628 Prophet Mohammad Sahib started a pilgrimage with 1400 of his disciples. This became the first pilgrimage of Islam and the religious tradition of Prophet Ibrahim was re-established in this pilgrimage. This is called Hajj.
Every year Muslims from all over the world travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Hajj takes five days and ends with Bakreed. Saudi Arabia prepares Hajj quota according to each country.
Indonesia has the highest quota in this. This is followed by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nigeria. Apart from this, pilgrims come from many countries including Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia. Pilgrims first reach the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. From there they go to Makkah city by bus.
In the fourth stage of the Hajj, pilgrims throw stones at Haji Satan. The pillar in the picture is a symbol of the satanic stone.
There are 5 stages of Hajj…
1. Ahram: All pilgrims going for Hajj wear a special type of clothing called Ahram. It has no stitches. It is a white cloth. Women going for Hajj do not need to wear Ahram.
2. Umrah: After reaching Mecca, pilgrims first perform Umrah. Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. It is not obligatory to do this during Hajj.
3. Plains of Mina and Arafat
Hajj begins on the 8th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hij. On this day, Haji goes to the city of Mina, 12 km from Makkah. The next day they reach Arafat’s grounds. Standing here, Haji remembers Allah. In the evening they go to the city of Muzdalfa. On the morning of the 10th the pilgrims return to the city of Mina.
4. Construction
After Mina returns, all pilgrims go to a special place and throw stones at the devil. This is a symbolic process. This is called Jamarat. After this a goat or sheep is sacrificed.
5. Eid-ul-Azha
At the end of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims return to Mecca and circumambulate the Kaaba 7 times. This is called Tawaf. Bakrid is celebrated on this day all over the world. The Hajj pilgrimage is completed after performing Tawaf on the 12th of the Islamic month and making the last dua.
