68 Indians among 645 Hajj pilgrims who died in Mecca this year amid high temperatures: Reports
While some of the deaths were due to the high temperatures that the pilgrims had to endure, others were due to natural causes, a Saudi diplomat reportedly said.
Sixty-eight Indian nationals were among the 645 persons who died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca this year, which was marked by soaring temperatures, AFP reported on Wednesday.
“We have confirmed around 68 [Indians] dead [during the pilgrimage],” an unidentified Saudi diplomat told AFP. “Some [deaths] are because of natural causes and we had many old-age pilgrims. And some are due to the weather conditions, that’s what we assume.”
The diplomat also said that a few pilgrims from India were missing, AFP reported. However, he did not provide an exact number. “This happens every year...We can’t say that it is abnormally high this year,” he said.
Temperatures rose to as high as 51.8 degree Celsius in Mecca on Monday, Reuters reported citing a Saudi state-run news agency.
The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five key obligations of Islam that Muslims with the means to do so are expected to fulfil at least once in their lifetime. The dates of the Hajj are determined by the position of the moon according to the Islamic lunar calendar. The ritual lasts several days and ends in Mecca.
On Tuesday, two other unidentified Saudi diplomats told AFP that 550 deaths were recorded during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. However, the news agency’s final tally put the...
