The Death of 17 Iranians During This Year's Hajj Confirmed

Iranian media has reported that from the beginning of the Hajj pilgrimage until the end of the first Friday of Tir 1402 (June 23, 2023), a total of 17 pilgrims who traveled from Iran to Saudi Arabia have lost their lives, including one in Medina and 16 in Mecca. Three of these individuals were women, and the rest were men, with ages reported between 51 and 87. Nine of the deceased were buried in the city of Mecca. This is the latest statistic announced on Saturday, Tir 2 (June 24), during a meeting attended by Abdol-Fattah Nobavv, head of Iranian pilgrims, and members of the supervision and inspection office of the office of Ali Khamenei. The 'Hajj Office' refers to the delegations or political, executive, and cultural headquarters of countries and religious figures sent to Hajj. A few days earlier, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent announced the number of Iranian fatalities at 11, stating that some of these individuals died from heatstroke. The head of Iranian pilgrims met with officials from the Hajj Medical Center on Friday and declared that some problems in Saudi Arabia posed a threat to the lives of pilgrims. He mentioned the prohibition of installing directional signs to find routes, stating that reports indicated that on the return route from the Jamarat stoning on Eid day, signs were not allowed to be installed, or routes were diverted, leading to several pilgrims losing their lives on this path. Health and medical issues, as well as heatstroke, were other concerns raised by the head of Iranian pilgrims during this meeting. Official sources from Saudi Arabia confirmed at least 550 deaths during this year's Hajj in the country by June 18, attributing the main cause to the extreme heat. The number of heatstroke victims during this year's Hajj has exceeded 550. However, according to news reports, the total death toll during this year's Hajj, confirmed by several countries, reached 577 by the end of last week. Last year, the number of fatalities during Hajj was 240, a significant portion of which was due to heatstroke. According to Saudi Arabia, about 1.8 million pilgrims participated in this year's Hajj, with 1.6 million of them attending from outside Saudi Arabia. A research study published by the Saudi government last month indicates that the impact of climate change on the country has led to a significant increase in temperature. The temperature in Mecca was reported to be close to 52 degrees Celsius on June 18. Saudi officials have advised pilgrims to use umbrellas during the hottest hours of the day, drink plenty of water, and avoid exposure to sunlight.