Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday, June 23, 2024, that 1,301 pilgrims died during the recently concluded Muslim pilgrimage ( Hajj 2024 ), attributed to scorching temperatures. The majority of the victims were reportedly without the necessary permissions to participate in this annual religious gathering.
The Hajj 2024 took place from June 14 to June 19 in the western region of Saudi Arabia.
According to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, “83% of the deaths were among individuals who did not have the required authorization to perform Hajj. Many had traveled long distances under intense sun without adequate shelter or comfort.”
Speaking with the state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV, the minister said 95 pilgrims were being treated in hospitals. Meanwhile some of them were airlifted for treatment in the capital, Riyadh. He explained that the identification process was delayed because there were no identification documents with many of the dead pilgrims.
Among the victims, the majority are Egyptian nationals, with at least 600 Egyptian pilgrims reported dead. The challenging conditions severely tested pilgrims’ ability to endure the region’s rigorous climate.
Egypt sent more than 50,000 authorized pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year. Saudi authorities cracked down on unauthorized pilgrims, expelling tens of thousands of people. But many managed to reach holy sites in and around Mecca, some on foot. Unlike authorized pilgrims, they had no hotels to return to to escape the scorching heat.
The official also noted that Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system “provided over 465,000 specialized treatment services, including 141,000 services to those without official Hajj authorization.” This year, approximately 1.8 million pilgrims participated in the ritual, with the majority coming from abroad.
Criticism is intensifying regarding crowd management and insufficient preparation in the face of extreme weather conditions at the Hajj pilgrimage.
