The death toll from the Hajj has exceeded 1,000 with most of the fatalities resulting due to the intense heatwave, a report in AFP has said.
1,081 deaths were reported among nationals from 10 countries who came to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam which all the Muslims have to complete at least once.
The new toll included 58 from Egypt raising the fatality to 658 from the North African country, the report said.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are being treated for heatstroke as temperatures have soared to 49 degrees Celsius in Mecca. 90 deaths have been reported of Indian nationals, a report in India Today has said.
Earlier this week, the toll was over 550, which included 68 Indians. Meanwhile, Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Pakistan and Tunisia have also reported pilgrim deaths. 35 casualties from Pakistan has also been reported.
Saudi Arabia has not officially provided information on fatalities, though it reported more than 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone. Last year, there were more than 200 deaths during Hajj.
Saudi state TV said temperatures on Monday rose as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
Every year, lakhs of pilgrims attempt to perform the Hajj through irregular channels as they cannot afford the often costly official permits.
While deaths among pilgrims are not uncommon, this year’s gathering is being held amid particularly high temperatures.
Haj season changes every year according to the Islamic calendar, and this year, it fell in June, one of the hottest months in the kingdom. On Monday, Saudi Arabia advised pilgrims against performing the “stoning of the devil” ritual between certain hours due to high temperatures.