At least 14 die in extreme heat during haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia
- Temperatures have pushed well past 40 degrees Celsius during the annual pilgrimage
A further 17 people are missing, the Jordanian foreign ministry said on Sunday, according to the state agency Petra.
The ministry had initially confirmed the deaths of six Jordanian pilgrims who had suffered heatstroke.
The pilgrimage began in Mecca on Friday evening in blistering heat.
On Sunday, the heat had reached to 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit) in Mecca, and 46 degrees in Mina, according to Saudi meteorological authorities.
Mohammed Al-Abdulaali, spokesman for the Saudi Health Ministry, told reporters that more than 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone. He said the number was likely to increase and urged attendees to avoid the sun at peak times and drink water.
“Heat stress is the greatest challenge,” he said.
Last year, around 2 million pilgrims took part in the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which is one of the five basic duties of Islam. At least 240 people – many from Indonesia – died, according to figures announced by various countries which also did not specify causes of death.
Buses and trains are used to help transport the many worshippers to the holy sites, but the large crowds and intense heat still pose a challenge for pilgrims and police officers.
In recent decades, there have also been several major tragedies with hundreds of deaths because of crowding.
Additional reporting by Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
