Hajj pilgrims death: Toll reaches 922 amid intense heat, 600 fatalities from Egypt alone

At least 922 Hajj pilgrims have perished over the past few days while performing the annual rituals in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia due to intense heat, news agency AFP reported. The faithful were searching for their missing relatives and friends Wednesday (Jun 19) as the mercury soared over 50 degrees Celsius in Islam's holiest city. Earlier on Monday, the temperature here was recorded at a whopping 51.8 degrees Celsius.

Among the dead, 'at least 600' are from Egypt alone, according to an Arab diplomat cited by AFP. On Wednesday, the Egypt death toll hovered around 300.

The diplomat also added they had received "1,400 reports of missing Egyptian pilgrims", including the 600 dead.

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It has been reported that some of the pilgrims were not officially registered and lacked a valid hajj permit, due to which they were not able to access air-conditioned facilities. Most of the dead 600 Egyptian pilgrims were unregistered, according to the diplomat.

Watch:Heatwave kills 922 during Hajj pilgrimage, several missing

Every year, almost 1.8 million people from across the world visit Mecca to take part in a mostly outdoor pilgrimage. Hajj is considered one of the five pillars of Islam and Muslims with the means are advised to visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

Saudi Arabian authorities say the temperatures here have risen 0.4 degrees each decade, piling more misery on the faithful crowd.

'68 dead from India'

AFP quoted an Asian diplomat as saying that at least 68 Indians have also perished in the deadly heat conditions in Mecca.

"Some (died) 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 said. The deaths have also been confirmed by Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

The role of Saudi authorities

In 2016, the Saudi government took several measures to help pilgrims brave the heat by erecting shaded areas, establishing drinking water points every 500 metres, and improving health care capacity.

Health authorities also advised people to stay hydrated and rest properly, especially during the peak hot hours between 11 am and 3 pm.

However, some pilgrims have reported not being allowed to rest during the ritual.

A Pakistani pilgrim, Mustafa, was quoted as saying by the news agency Reuters that police asked him to keep moving ahead as and when he stopped pushing his mother in a wheelchair to rest.

"I was amazed to see that there were no efforts made by the Saudi government to provide any shelter or any water," Mustafa said.

(With inputs from agencies)