Jordan’s official news agency reported on Sunday that 14 Jordanian pilgrims had died while performing rituals related to the Hajj, a pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims are supposed to undertake once in their lifetime.
The agency said based on a report from Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the pilgrims died due to exposure to the scorching sun and high temperatures. The temperature in Mecca reached nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. A recent study Pointing out that climate change will increase health risks there.
Another 17 pilgrims were missing, the agency said.
The Hajj is one of the largest gatherings in the world, with Muslim pilgrims coming from far and wide in search of a spiritual experience that is also a physical and mental challenge.
This year’s Hajj begins on Friday and ends on Wednesday; 1.8 million pilgrims are expected to take part, according to the Saudi government’s General Statistics Bureau.
The Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday that the country’s heat stroke medical center had treated 225 pilgrims suffering from heat stress and fatigue.
Deaths, including stampedes, have occurred during previous pilgrimages. 2015a stampede killed more than 700 people. Many pilgrims tend to be older and have also experienced heat stress in recent years, with dozens dying in heat waves.
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith, and many of its rituals are performed outdoors, in Mecca and the surrounding desert. They include prayers outside the Grand Mosque in Mecca and a full day of prayers on Mount Arafat, often under the blazing sun.
Scientists warn that weather conditions will be severe this year if the pilgrimage, which is held according to the lunar calendar, falls in the summer.
Relief measures help reduce cases of heat stress, Scientists saySaudi authorities said they had used fine water mist spray to reduce temperatures and were providing pilgrims with water, umbrellas and air-conditioned transport.
Vivian Nerrim This was reported by journalists in Riyadh.
