Over 550 pilgrims perished during this year's Hajj, highlighting the demanding nature of the pilgrimage amidst extreme heat.
Heatstroke claimed the lives of most of the 323 deceased Egyptian pilgrims, according to Arab diplomats. A minor crowd crush caused one additional fatality. This information originated from the morgue at Mecca's Al-Muaisem hospital, one of the largest in the city.
The death toll climbed to 577 after reports of at least 60 Jordanian deaths, exceeding Jordan's earlier official count of 41.
The morgue figure of 550 aligns with the total reported fatalities from various countries.
Hajj, the mandatory pilgrimage for able-bodied Muslims having the supporting financial means, are one of the five pillars of Islam.
A new study done by Saudi researchers has said that climate change could trigger temperatures to get so scorching that they threaten the Hajj. According to them, temperatures in the pilgrimage areas have increased by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade.
Temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius on Monday in Mecca's Grand Mosque, according to the Saudi national meteorology center.
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