68 Indians among Hajj pilgrims who died in Mecca this year: Report

A Saudi Arabian diplomat on Wednesday (June 19) said 68 Indians were among those who died in Mecca this year during the Hajj pilgrimage, most of them being heat-related deaths, according to the news agency AFP.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said some of the deaths were due to natural causes, since there were many elderly pilgrims. But many died due to the unbearable heat.

Several Indians are reported to be missing too.

Overall tally crosses 600

The scorching heat during the Saudi summer has not deterred Muslim pilgrims, for whom it is a religious duty to go on a Hajj pilgrimage at least once during their lifetime if they can afford to.

The statistics shared by diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan have put the overall tally of deaths during this year’s Hajj as more than 600, with the numbers changing every day.

A report by India Today claimed that 90 of those who died during the pilgrimage this year were Indians.

Deaths despite precautions 

The deaths have occurred despite precautions taken by pilgrims like taking shelter in air-conditioned facilities provided by Saudi authorities, regularly drinking water and other beverages, and pouring water over their heads.

One Egyptian diplomat said many of those who died were unregistered pilgrims who could not afford the official Hajj visa costs and therefore could not use the air-conditioned facilities available. He said many of them did not even drink sufficient water or carry umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.

Saudi Arabia has not officially provided information on the number of fatalities, though it reported more than 2,700 cases of heat exhaustion on Sunday (June 16) alone.