New Delhi: Ninety-eight Indian pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia during this years Hajj, according to the Indian government. The Ministry of External Affairs reported on Friday that all deaths were due to natural illness and old age. Every year, many Indian pilgrims visit Hajj. This year, 1,75,000 Indian pilgrims have visited Saudi for Hajj so far. The core Hajj period is from July 9 to 22. So far, 98 Indian pilgrims have died. The causes are natural illness and old age, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Last year, the number of deaths during Hajj was 187.Impact of intense heatAccording to an AFP report, over 600 people have died during this years Hajj pilgrimage. While Saudi Arabia has not officially released the number of deaths, several countries, including Jordan and Tunisia, have reported deaths among their pilgrims due to the intense heat that has swept across the holy sites in Mecca.#WATCH | Delhi: On the death of Hajj pilgrims from India, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, This year we have 175,000 Indians who have already visited Hajj... So far we have lost 98 of our citizens. These deaths have happened on account of natural illness, natural causes,… pic.twitter.com/bkk1Oy67lG— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024Why Hajj is importantThe Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring all Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey at least once in their lifetime. It is an annual event where millions of Muslims gather in Mecca to perform religious rites as instructed by the Prophet Mohammad over 14 centuries ago.Challenges of this years HajjThis years Hajj witnessed extremely high temperatures, with a heatwave pushing temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, the highest in recent decades. This harsh weather impacted the health of pilgrims. A Saudi study revealed that temperatures in the pilgrimage area have been rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade. This year, more than 200 pilgrims died during Hajj, and over 2,000 individuals suffered from heat-related stress as temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius.
