During the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage, over 900 pilgrims died due to an intense heatwave in Saudi Arabia. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the scorching temperatures, which soared to 51.8°C in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, were particularly deadly for the elderly and infirm participants.
AFP reported that at least 600 Egyptians were among the deceased, contributing to a total death toll of 922. Relatives frantically searched hospitals and posted on social media, seeking information about their missing loved ones.
“Facebook and other social media networks have been flooded with pictures of the missing and requests for information,” AFP noted.
In addition to the Egyptian fatalities, deaths were also confirmed among pilgrims from Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. However, many authorities did not specify the causes of death in their reports.
Despite these reports, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) reported a significantly lower number of casualties among Nigerian pilgrims. Abubakar Adamu Ismail, NAHCON’s Head of Medical Team, confirmed only three Nigerian deaths.
He attributed this lower number to “adequate preparation” and quick medical responses. “If the patients had the diagnosis in Jamarat, which is about 3 kilometers to the camps, they would have died,” Ismail said.
Ismail also mentioned that “17 Nigerian pilgrims suffered heat strokes but were successfully resuscitated, and there were additional cases of two pregnant women miscarrying, 25 instances of severe dehydration, and five cardiac arrests.
Preparations for the return journey of Nigerian pilgrims are underway, with flights scheduled to begin on June 22.
Mohammed Goni Sanda, NAHCON’s head of Aviation, stated that “flights will operate on a first-in-first-out basis, starting with three flights daily and increasing to up to six.”
Looking ahead, NAHCON Chairman Jalal Ahmed Arabi announced that “preparations for the 2025 Hajj have already begun.”
He urged states’ pilgrims welfare boards to complete preparations by September to determine the number of participants for the next pilgrimage.