Diplomats say over 550 pilgrims died during Hajj

RIYADH — Diplomats said on Tuesday at least 550 pilgrims died during the Hajj, underscoring the grueling nature of the pilgrimage which again unfolded in scorching temperatures this year.

At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries' responses told Agence France-Presse.

"All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat" except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, adding that the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighborhood of Mecca.

At least 60 Jordanians also died, the diplomats said, up from an official tally of 41 given earlier on Tuesday by Amman.

The new deaths bring the total reported so far by multiple countries to 577, according to an AFP tally.

The diplomats said the total at the morgue in Al-Muaisem, one of the biggest in Mecca, was 550.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims with the means must complete it at least once.

The pilgrimage is increasingly affected by climate change, according to a Saudi study published last month that said temperatures in the area where rituals are performed were rising 0.4 C each decade.

Temperatures hit 51.8 C at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Monday, the Saudi National Meteorology Center said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Cairo was collaborating with Saudi authorities on search operations for Egyptians who had gone missing during the Hajj.

While a ministry statement said "a certain number of deaths" had occurred, it did not specify whether Egyptians were among them.

Saudi authorities have reported treating more than 2,000 pilgrims suffering from heat stress, but have not updated that figure since Sunday and have not provided information on fatalities.

Saudi officials had advised pilgrims to use umbrellas, drink plenty of water and avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest hours of the day.

About 1.8 million pilgrims took part in the Hajj this year, and 1.6 million of them are from abroad, according to Saudi authorities.

Health officials "provided virtual consultations to more than 5,800 pilgrims, primarily for heat-related illnesses, enabling prompt intervention and mitigating the potential for a surge in cases", the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Agencies Via Xinhua