A brutal heatwave has gripped Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage and has claimed two more lives from Gujarat, taking the death toll from the state to eight.
Till now, over 1,301 Hajj pilgrims have died on the holy pilgrimage, 83% of whom were unregistered individuals.
The two pilgrims from Gujarat are reported to be from Ahmedabad and Junagadh. Both the deceased were identified as males over the age of 50.
This brings the state’s death toll to eight, while over 25 pilgrims have been reported sick.
This year, a total of 14,400 pilgrims from Gujarat embarked on the sacred Hajj pilgrimage.
The impact of climate change is evident in Saudi Arabia, with temperatures soaring past 50°C, proving to be a formidable adversary, particularly for elderly and female pilgrims.
Over 18 lakh pilgrims from across the globe arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj this year.