Social media has been flooded with harsh scenes of deceased pilgrims or those suffering from sunstrokes, amid criticism of gross governmental negligence by Saudi authorities.
Videos have shown pilgrims dying from heat strokes as temperatures soared to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca, accompanied by grim images of bodies lying on the roadside in the holy city.
As of now, there has been no official Saudi comment on the pilgrims’ documentation and reports of hundreds of deaths. An Egyptian pilgrim described a disaster affecting hundreds during the ritual of stoning, accusing Saudi authorities of concealing the matter.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Sunday that at least six Jordanian pilgrims had died due to heat strokes while performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, amidst growing concern over the risks posed by high temperatures at one of the world’s largest gatherings.
Temperatures in Mecca, the holiest Islamic site, reached 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs later updated the death toll to 14 cases, although it wasn’t immediately clear if the additional deaths were also heat-related.
Saudi news agency SPA quoted Mohammed al-Abd al-Aali, spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Health, on Monday reporting over 2700 cases of heat exhaustion and sunstrokes among pilgrims.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, obligatory for all financially and physically able Muslims to perform at least once in their lifetime.
Most rituals take place outdoors, including circumambulating the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure considered the holiest site in Islam, praying facing it, and retracing the steps of Prophet Muhammad on Mount Arafat.
Local authorities stated that this year’s Hajj involves 1.8 million people from around the world. The Hajj began on Friday and is expected to culminate on Wednesday.
Islam follows the lunar calendar, consisting of 354 days, causing Hajj to shift approximately 10 or 11 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar.
A 2019 study warned that climate change-induced heat and humidity increases in parts of Saudi Arabia where Hajj takes place could make the pilgrimage hazardous for some.
Researchers from MIT and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles highlighted serious risks during the hottest summer months — from 2047 to 2052 and from 2079 to 2086.
Jeremy Pal, one of the study’s authors, noted in an email on Monday: “While this is truly a tragic situation, sadly it’s not entirely surprising except perhaps that such events are happening sooner than expected.”
He emphasized that advancing and early Hajj seasons mean pilgrims must at least be able to avoid windows of extremely hazardous conditions in the next two decades.
Thousands of cases of heat exhaustion were reported during last year’s Hajj season, which fell in late June.
In addition to preventive measures, researchers recommend limiting the number of pilgrims and prioritizing those in good health during years with heightened risks.
By 2050, Mecca is expected to experience 182 days with dangerously high temperatures exceeding 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) in direct sunlight and 54 days with such heat even in shade, according to a global analysis conducted by The Washington Post.
