At least 68 Indian nationals die in Hajj pilgrimage amid scorching temperatures: Diplomat

At least 68 Indian nationals are confirmed to have died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, a significant event for Muslims worldwide that has been marred by scorching temperatures this year, a diplomat in Saudi Arabia told AFP news agency on Wednesday (June 19).

"We have confirmed around 68 dead... Some 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 told the agency on condition of anonymity.

The diplomat also mentioned that there are Indian pilgrims reported missing, but declined to specify the exact number, the agency report said.

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"This happens every year... We can't say that it is abnormally high this year," the diplomat said adding,"It's somewhat similar to last year but we will know more in the coming days."

This brings the total death toll to 645 in this Hajj season.More than 200 pilgrims died last year.

More than 2,000 pilgrims were hit by heat stress during the pilgrimage as temperatures went up to 48℃.

The Hajj pilgrimage, one of Islam's Five Pillars, draws millions of Muslims annually to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah.

It is a profound religious obligation that every able-bodied Muslim is required to undertake at least once in their lifetime.

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This year's pilgrimage coincided with searing temperatures typical of the Saudi summer, exacerbated by a reported increase in local temperatures over recent decades.

Temperatures in the ritual areasaw an uptick of 0.4 degrees Celsius each decade, a Saudi study said last month.

550 deaths reported earlier

Earlier reports citingArab diplomats on Tuesday (June 18) indicated a total of 550 deaths during Hajj, including 323 Egyptians and 60 Jordanians, primarily attributed to the extreme heat.

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Deaths have also been reported from pilgrims of other nationalities, including Iran, Indonesia, Tunisia, Senegal and Iraq's Kurdistan region.

However, authorities in the respective countries have not specified the causes of the deaths so far.

(With inputs from agencies)