At least 577 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj, highlighting the pilgrimage’s harsh conditions in extreme heat.
Among the deceased, 323 were Egyptians, primarily from heat-related issues. Sixty Jordanians also died, up from an earlier report of 41.
Temperatures reached 51.8°C (125°F) in Mecca, as climate change increasingly impacts the pilgrimage.
Despite advice to stay hydrated and use umbrellas, many rituals require hours outdoors.
Around 1.8 million pilgrims participated this year. Saudi officials successfully managed health plans to prevent major outbreaks.
Earlier this month, Saudi officials said they had cleared hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca ahead of the Hajj.
Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel said on Tuesday that health plans for the Hajj had “been successfully carried out”, preventing major outbreaks of disease and other public health threats, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
