Iran’s Red Crescent Society has confirmed the deaths of seven Iranians during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca due to “heatstroke” and “pre-existing health conditions”.
This year’s total death toll reached 19 with temperatures forecast to reach a peak of 47 degrees.
The intense heat has had a significant impact, especially during the critical Hajj ritual of ‘stoning the Devil’, a period marked by several of the reported deaths.
Each year, the Hajj pilgrimage attracts approximately 1.8 million Muslims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
According to Saudi’s health ministry spokesman, Mohammed Al-Abdulaali, more than 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone.
In response to the annual deaths which plague the pilgrimage, Saudi authorities have introduced a variety of precautions including climate-controlled facilities and comprehensive medical support to address the health risks posed by the heat.
Last year, deaths reached as many as 240 with temperatures around 48 degrees.
