The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reported that at least 98 Indian citizens lost their lives during this year’s Haj pilgrimage due to natural causes, old age and illness. The pilgrimage witnessed extreme heat and intense temperatures.
Approximately 1,75,000 Indians participated in the Hajj this year and the fatalities include four individuals who died in an accident.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “So far, we have lost 98 of our citizens during this year’s Hajj. These deaths occurred due to natural illness, chronic conditions and old age.” On the day of Arafat, six Indians passed away, while four others died in accidents. Last year, the death toll for Indian pilgrims during Hajj was 187.
According to AFP, a total of 1,081 deaths have been reported across ten countries during the pilgrimage. Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is obligatory for all financially capable Muslims to perform at least once in their lifetime.
The timing of the Hajj is determined by the lunar Islamic calendar and this year it coincided with Saudi Arabia facing scorching heat.
The overall figure includes 658 Egyptians, 183 Indonesians, 68 Jordanians and 58 Pakistanis. Additional deaths have been confirmed by Malaysia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, Sudan and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
Many of those who perished were unregistered worshippers who braved extreme heat during the pilgrimage. Without official permits, they were unable to access air-conditioned spaces provided to authorised pilgrims.
An Arab diplomat informed AFP that the primary cause of death among Egyptian pilgrims was the heat, leading to complications related to high blood pressure and other health issues.
Egyptian officials are actively visiting hospitals to gather information and assist Egyptian pilgrims in obtaining medical care, as stated by the country’s foreign ministry.
Last year, various countries reported over 300 deaths during Hajj, with Indonesians being the majority of victims.
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