ISLAMABAD, June 20: At least 35 Pakistanis were among over 900 people who died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, marked by extreme heat, the government has confirmed.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on Wednesday that the Hajj was particularly challenging this year due to temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius. Saudi state TV reported that temperatures at the Grand Mosque in Makkah rose to 51.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Abdul Wahab Soomro, Director General of Pakistan’s Hajj Mission, reported that as of June 18, a total of 35 Pakistani pilgrims had died. The casualties included 20 in Makkah, six in Madina, four in Mina, three in Arafat, and two in Muzdalifah, according to Dawn newspaper.
Soomro noted that the Saudi government had established a system for burials in Haramain, with provisions to repatriate the bodies of deceased Pakistani pilgrims if requested by their families.
While Saudi Arabia has not officially provided the total number of fatalities, it reported over 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone.
Soomro urged the public to disregard social media posts about the hardships faced by pilgrims, labeling them “inauthentic.” He specifically addressed a circulating video clip showing bodies on footpaths and people appealing for assistance, calling it baseless and unverifiable.
“It has come to our attention that some videos are circulating on social media websites in which pilgrims are shown, and no one is coming to help them; these videos are baseless because their authenticity could not be verified, and their date or year could not be determined,” he said.
Soomro emphasized that verified information had to come from the Saudi government and be confirmed by the mission. He noted that while deaths among pilgrims are not uncommon—over 200 were reported last year—this year’s Hajj occurred during particularly high temperatures.
This year, the Hajj season fell in June, one of the hottest months in Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Saudi authorities advised pilgrims to avoid performing the “stoning of the devil” ritual during certain hours due to the intense heat.
According to Dawn newspaper, over 900 deaths were reported this year, including several Indian pilgrims.
