- विज्ञापन -
550 pilgrims who reached Mecca, Saudi Arabia for Haj have died. A total of 577 pilgrims have died so far in the Hajj pilgrimage which is going on from 12 June to 19 June. The reason for this is said to be the severe heat in Saudi Arabia. Last year 240 Hajj pilgrims died.
According to The Guardian report, among those who died, 323 citizens are from Egypt and 60 are from Jordan. Apart from this, pilgrims from Iran, Indonesia and Senegal have also died. It is not clear whether any of them are Indians or not. 2 Saudi diplomats told AFP that most of the deaths have occurred due to severe heat.
Treatment of 2 thousand pilgrims continues in Saudi
Egypt’s Foreign Minister said on Tuesday that they are running an operation to find the missing people in collaboration with Saudi officials. Saudi Arabia said that about 2 thousand pilgrims who fell ill due to heat are being treated.
On June 17, the temperature in the Grand Mosque of Mecca was recorded at 51.8 degrees Celsius. According to Saudi Arabian officials, climate change is having a profound effect in Mecca. Here the average temperature is increasing by 0.4 degrees Celsius every 10 years.
However, most of the rituals of Haj are performed during the day along with the worship of Mount Arafat. For this, pilgrims have to stay outside in the sun for a long time. Pilgrims said that during Hajj they often see sick passengers on the roadside. Many people have died. There is a constant gathering of ambulances on the way to Hajj.
What is Hajj…
Hajj is one of the 5 duties in Islam. According to beliefs, every Muslim person has to fulfill this duty at least once in his life. According to BBC News, in the year 628, Prophet Muhammad started a journey with his 1400 disciples. This became the first pilgrimage of Islam and in this journey the religious tradition of Prophet Ibrahim was re-established. This is called Hajj.
Every year Muslims from all over the world reach Mecca in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Hajj takes five days and it is completed with Eid ul Azha or Bakrid. Saudi Arabia prepares the quota of Hajj according to each country.
Among these, Indonesia has the highest quota. After this comes Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria. Apart from this, Hajj pilgrims come from many countries including Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia. Hajj pilgrims first reach Jeddah city of Saudi Arabia. From there they go to Mecca city by bus.
