What is the cause of deaths during the Hajj season this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

Hundreds of people are believed to have died while performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, mostly due to extreme heat with temperatures exceeding 51°C (123°F).

The French news agency quoted an Arab diplomat as saying that 658 Egyptians were killed. Indonesia said more than 200 of its citizens were killed. India said 98 people died.

Pakistan, Malaysia, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Sudan and the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan also confirmed deaths. The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States believed a number of Americans had died. Friends and relatives search for missing persons in hospitals and post messages online.

Jordan said on Friday that it had arrested a number of travel agents who facilitated unofficial travel for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. Egypt is conducting a similar investigation. Later on Friday, Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed the Minister of Religious Affairs after local media reported that 49 Tunisians had died. A statement said that most of those who died were unregistered pilgrims.

Hajj is the annual pilgrimage undertaken by Muslims to the holy city of Mecca. All financially and physically capable Muslims must perform the Hajj at least once in their lives. Saudi Arabia says about 1.8 million people participated this year.

Agence France-Presse reported that more than half of those who died were unregistered pilgrims who joined the Hajj through irregular channels, leaving them unable to access cooling facilities such as tents and air-conditioned buses.

Saudi Arabia has strengthened Hajj safety measures in recent years, but still faces criticism for not doing enough, especially for unregistered pilgrims. It has not yet commented on the deaths.

Here are some factors that contribute to deaths.

The unprecedented heat waves in Saudi Arabia are believed to be the main factor behind the high death toll.

Despite warnings from the Saudi Ministry of Health to avoid heat exposure and stay hydrated, many pilgrims have fallen victim to heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

“I was only able to survive because it was so hot,” Aisha Idris, a Nigerian pilgrim, told BBC World’s Newsday programme.

She said: “I had to use an umbrella and constantly wash myself with Zamzam water.”

Another pilgrim, Naeem, reportedly died of heatstroke, leaving her family searching for answers.

Her son told BBC News Arabic: “Contact with my mother was suddenly cut off. We spent days searching, only to discover that she had died during the Hajj,” adding that they would respect her wish to be buried in Mecca.

Pilgrims face risks due to the unfamiliar heat, strenuous physical activity and vast open spaces. Many of them are also elderly or unwell.

However, heat-related deaths during Hajj are not new and have been recorded since the 15th century.

Scientists warn that global warming will make conditions even worse.

“Hajj pilgrimages have been taking place in a hot climate for more than a thousand years, but the climate crisis is exacerbating these conditions,” Carl Friedrich Schleussner of Climate Analytics told Reuters news agency.

His research suggests that with global temperatures rising by 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the risk of heatstroke during Hajj could increase by up to five times.

According to several accounts, mismanagement by Saudi authorities exacerbated the harsh conditions, leading to a crisis in many areas designated for pilgrims.

They say accommodation and facilities were poorly managed, with overcrowded tents lacking adequate cooling and sanitation facilities.

“There were no air conditioners in our tents in the heat of Mecca,” says Amina (pseudonym), 38, from Islamabad. “The coolers that were installed were not supplied with water most of the time.”

She added: “There was so much suffocation in these tents that we were sweating, and it was a terrible experience.”

Fawzia, a pilgrim from Jakarta, agreed: “Many fainted due to the crowding and high temperature in the tents.

She welcomes the improvements but believes “this is the best organization of the Hajj yet.”

However, the Saudi Minister of Health highlighted the resources allocated to ensure the well-being of pilgrims.

A government statement said that these projects include 189 hospitals, health centers and mobile clinics with a total capacity of more than 6,500 beds, and more than 40,000 medical, technical and administrative staff and volunteers.

Pilgrims were often forced to walk long distances in extreme temperatures, and some blamed roadblocks and poor management.

During the summer, the average pilgrim may have to walk at least 15 kilometers a day, said Muhammad Asha, Hajj organizer for the private group. Which exposes them to sunstroke, fatigue, and lack of available water.

“This is my 18th argument,” he said, “and in my experience, the Saudi observers are not facilitators. They control, but they don’t help.”

“In previous years, the turns to reach the tents were open, but now all these roads are closed. As a result, the average pilgrim, even if he is staying in a category A tent in the first zone, has to walk 2.5 kilometers. In Summer heat to reach their tent.”

“If there is an emergency on this route, no one will reach you for 30 minutes. There are no life-saving arrangements, and there are no water points along these routes,” Asha adds.

To perform the Hajj, the pilgrim must apply for a special Hajj visa.

But some individuals are trying to go on the five-day Hajj without the correct documents, despite attempts by Saudi officials to crack down.

Pilgrims without proper documentation often avoid authorities, even when they need help.

The issue of “unofficial pilgrimages” is believed to be contributing to the increase in deaths, and authorities have blamed them for some of the overcrowding in tents.

“We suspect that those using non-Hajj visas have infiltrated the Hajj areas,” says Mostoleh Siradj, head of Indonesia’s National Committee for Hajj and Umrah (Komnas Hajji).

Saad Al-Qurashi, advisor to the National Committee for Hajj and Umrah, told the BBC: “Anyone who does not have a Hajj visa will not be tolerated and must return to his country.” [their] nation.”

He points out that irregular pilgrims are identified using Nusuk cards, which are given to official pilgrims and contain a barcode to enter the holy sites.

One reason why there are likely to be so many deaths each year during the Hajj season is that many pilgrims go at the end of their lives, having saved money for life.

Many Muslims also hope that if they die, it will be during the Hajj – as death and burial in the Holy City are considered a blessing.

When a pilgrim dies while performing Hajj, the Hajj delegation is informed of the death. They use bracelets or neck identifiers to confirm identity. They then obtain a doctor’s certificate, and Saudi Arabia issues a death certificate.

Funeral prayers are held in important mosques such as the Grand Mosque in Mecca or the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, depending on the order. The body is washed, wrapped, and transported to refrigerators provided by the Saudi government, which covers all costs.

Burials are simple, unmarked, sometimes with several bodies in one place. The cemetery book lists the names of people buried, so families can visit the graves if they want.

The Saudi government, with the help of various groups and the Red Crescent, says it is ensuring “dignified and respectful burials.”