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2,000 Haj pilgrims hit by heat stress, say Saudi officials
1,700 cases were recorded on Thursday alone as temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius during the annual pilgrimage
A member of the Saudi security forces sprays water on pilgrims during the Haj pilgrimage in Mina, near the holy city of Makkah,on Thursday. — AFP
More than 2,000 pilgrims have suffered heat stress during the Haj pilgrimage, Saudi officials said on Thursday, after temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) during the annual rites.
Over 1.8 million people performed the days-long Haj, mostly held outdoors at the height of the Saudi desert summer. Many elderly were among the worshippers after a Covid-era maximum age limit was scrapped.
Saudi officials said about 1,700 heat stress cases were recorded on Thursday alone — as huge numbers of pilgrims remain at the holy sites, a day after the main rituals finished — added to the 287 reported earlier.
"The number of heat stress cases since the beginning of this day has reached 1,721," the Saudi health ministry said, urging people to stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water.
Officials did not provide a death toll but at least 30 people died during the pilgrimage, according to numbers announced by various countries which did not list causes of death.
Iran's oldest pilgrim this year, aged 114, died of a heart attack, the semi-official Fars news agency said, reporting 10 Iranian deaths.
Eight Algerians and four Moroccans died, officials said, while an Egyptian pro-government media outlet said eight pilgrims from the country had passed away.
Hundreds of people were treated for heart problems, including one 78-year-old Filipino man who had successful open-heart surgery in the holy city of Makkah, the health ministry said.
The real figure for heat stress — which includes heatstroke, exhaustion, cramps and rashes — is probably far higher, as many sufferers were not admitted to hospitals or clinics.
People struggling in the heat was a common sight, especially after the day-long outdoor prayers at Mount Arafat where overheating phones shut down and shade was hard to find.
The kingdom dispatched thousands of paramedics and set up field hospitals to help contain the risks. It was the biggest Haj since 2.5 million visitors came in pre-Covid 2019.
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