There were apprehensions for many days about the death of many pilgrims who went to Mecca for Haj from India. But now for the first time the Ministry of External Affairs has officially given accurate information about the deaths of Indian Haj pilgrims who went to Mecca. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'This year 175,000 Indians went on Haj pilgrimage. Out of these, we have lost 98 citizens so far. These deaths have occurred due to natural causes.' Six Indians also died on the day of Arafat due to illness, natural causes, chronic illness and old age.
Jaiswal said that at least six people died on the day of Arafat. All of them died in four separate accidents. He said that the number of deaths in 2023 is much higher. According to Jaiswal, at least 187 Indians died during Haj in 2023. But in the year 2024, 175,000 Indians have gone on Haj. So far 98 of these citizens have died due to various reasons. These deaths have been due to natural disease, natural causes, chronic disease and old age. Six Indians died on the day of Arafat and four Indians died due to accidents.
The number of Haj pilgrims who died due to 'heat wave' and other diseases and reasons in Mecca this year has exceeded 1,000. More than half of these are non-registered devotees who performed the pilgrimage in the scorching heat in Saudi Arabia. Many Indians are also among those who died. According to the report, 58 people from Egypt are included in the new deaths. It is being told that so far 1,081 Haj pilgrims from about 10 countries have died in Mecca. Among them, 98 Indian citizens have also died.
The National Meteorological Center recorded a maximum temperature of 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) at Mecca's Grand Mosque earlier this week. Temperatures also crossed the 52-degree mark in some places. Pilgrims have also been seen fainting in several places due to the scorching heat. According to a Saudi study published last month, temperatures in the region are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius every decade. Thousands of pilgrims attempt the Hajj every year through irregular means as they often cannot afford the costly official permits.