14 Jordanian pilgrims killed in hajj stampede, 17 others missing as heat kills hundreds across Saudi Arabia

Fourteen Jordanian Hajj pilgrims have died, and 17 are missing amid a severe heatwave in Saudi Arabia. The extreme heat has claimed additional lives, as authorities implement measures to protect pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage.

At least 14 Jordanian citizens died and 17 others are missing during the hajj in Saudi Arabia at a time when the Middle East is facing a dangerous heat wave. In the holy town of Mecca, the temperatures have risen to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and it is expected to rise even more with an expected rise to 47 degrees on Monday.

The Jordanian foreign ministry has also provided information on the deaths stating that the pilgrims died from a ‘stroke due to heat wave’. The ministry is now in touch with the Saudi government to facilitate the burial or repatriation of the bodies depending on the wishes of the bereaved families.

Apart from the Jordanian victims, the Iranian Red Crescent said five Iranian pilgrims perished, but it did not specify the cause of their deaths. The Saudi authorities have not commented on the deaths that were associated with the event.

To avoid this, Saudi authorities have established air-conditioned halls and are ensuring that the pilgrims are supplied with water. The Saudi health ministry has also advised the pilgrims to drink water often and to avoid going out during the hot hours.

Hajj is one of the biggest annual events where more than 1 million people congregate together. eight million pilgrims this year as claimed by the Saudi government. The event has been characterized by disasters including stampedes, fire outbreaks that engulf tents, and heat-related complications that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people in the last three decades. Hajj the previous year claimed at least 240 lives, many of them Indonesians, while more than 2,000 hajj pilgrims were affected by heat stroke.

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The hajj pilgrimage is likely to be drawn to a close on Wednesday this year as the climatic conditions in the area are still harsh.