Hundreds Die of Extreme Heat on Muslim Pilgrimage, Reports Say

Published on June 19, 2024

RIYADH/MINA—Hundreds of visitors have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca amid scorching heat, according to press reports and foreign ministries. At least 550 people have died on haj, diplomats told French outlet Agence France Presse (AFP) on Tuesday. Reuters was not able to immediately verify those numbers. Stampedes, tent fires, and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths during haj to Saudi Arabia in the past 30 years. The pilgrimage began on Friday. Saudi state TV said temperatures rose on Monday as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit) in the shade at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Thirty-five Tunisian citizens have died during the haj, Tunisian news agency Tunis Afrique Presse said on Tuesday....

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