Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], June 19: Saudi Arabian officials said at least 550 pilgrims died and more than 2,000 others suffered heatstroke during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).
Responding to AFP news agency on June 18, two Saudi diplomats coordinating emergency response activities said there were 550 bodies stored at the Al-Muaisem area hospital morgue in Mecca . At least 323 of the dead were Egyptians, most of whom died from heat-related illnesses.
In addition, at least 60 Jordanians died, up from the number of 41 people previously reported by the media. Other countries also reporting deaths during this year's Hajj pilgrimage include Indonesia, Iran and Senegal. Most of these countries have not confirmed specifically how many people died because of the heat.
According to a Saudi Arabian study published last month, pilgrimages are increasingly being hit by climate change and temperatures in the area where they are performed are rising by 0.4 degrees. C per decade. The Saudi Arabian National Meteorological Center reported temperatures reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on June 17.
According to AFP, pilgrims poured water bottles over their heads as volunteers distributed cold drinks and chocolate ice cream to help them cool off. Saudi Arabian officials regularly advise pilgrims to use umbrellas, drink plenty of water and avoid sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day. However, many Hajj rituals require participants to be outdoors for many hours during the day.
Saudi Arabia's Health Minister Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel announced on June 18 that health plans for the Hajj were successfully implemented, helping to prevent major disease outbreaks and health threats. other community. According to Saudi Arabia's SPA news agency, a virtual hospital is equipped to provide virtual consultation services to more than 5,800 pilgrims, mainly on heat-related illnesses, allowing for timely intervention and minimize the possibility of an increase in the number of cases.
According to the Saudi Arabian government, about 1.8 million people participated in the Hajj pilgrimage this year, including 1.6 million from abroad.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper