1,301 pilgrims died during the 2024 hajj, Fahd al-Jalajel, health Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has said.
Speaking on the state television, Jalajel said 83 percent of the deceased made the pilgrimage without the necessary permits.
Al-Jalajel said these unauthorized pilgrims walked long distances under the intense sun.
“We dealt with large numbers of people affected by heat stress. Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Jalajel said the identities of the deceased were verified, and they were respectfully buried and honored in Mecca.
The minister said that the Kingdom provided approximately 1.3 million preventive services to pilgrims. He added that authorities also delivered over 465,000 treatment services, including 141,000 for those without Hajj authorization.
