Nearly 500 People Confirmed Dead In This Year's Hajj Pilgrimage

[47of74]

It was so hot in Saudi Arabia this year that hundreds of people on the Hajj pilgrimage died due to the extreme heat.

Quote

The official death toll from this year’s Hajj pilgrimage has soared to almost 500 and the true toll could be more than double that as reports emerged that as many as 600 Egyptian worshipers perished on the route to Mecca amid extreme heat.

At least 14 Malaysians, 165 Indonesians, 75 Jordanians, 35 Pakistanis, 49 Tunisians, 11 Iranians and 98 Indians have died, according to authorities in each country. A further 27 Jordanians are hospitalized and around 14 are still missing, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said.

The US State Department said multiple US citizens died during the Hajj pilgrimage but did not provide a number. “We can confirm the deaths of multiple U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families on their loss,” the State Department spokesperson said, adding that the agency stands ready to provide consular assistance.

Dozens of Iranians have also been hospitalized due to heatstroke and other conditions, the Iranian Red Crescent said Wednesday, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

I do not mean this to be critical of those who died but any means, but I would say to the government of Saudi Arabia, "Hey, welcome to the consequences of your own actions."  Mainly because their role in the current climate crisis.  Far as I'm concerned the Saudi government is responsible for all this.  If it hadn't been for them combating efforts to get climate change under control the effect it would have on Hajj pilgrims we wouldn't have these injuries and deaths now.  Maybe if they hadn't been actively supporting politicians opposed to clean energy going to the Hajj wouldn't be so dangerous now.

[Ozlsn]

A lot of the pilgrims dying are apparently not coming via the official channels (there's a special visa I think) which means they have less access to air-conditioned spaces and aren't always coming up in official tallies of who is making the pilgrimage.

If they put half as much effort into converting to solar as they have into maintaining their monopoly we'd all be better off. Ditto for a lot of other multi-nationals.

[Coconut Flan]

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2024/06/23/death-toll-tops-1000-after-hajj-marked-by-extreme-heat/74186548007/

The "official" totals are probably very, very off.

[47of74]

CNN is now saying over 1300 people died.

Quote

Saudi Arabia said Sunday that more than 1,300 people died on this year’s Hajj pilgrimage – with “numerous cases” due to heat stress and “unauthorized” trips accounting for more than four out of five of the fatalities.

“The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care. Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301,” the Saudi government said in a statement as it released its first official figures.

The statement said 83% of those who died were “unauthorized to perform Hajj” and “walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort.” There were “several elderly and chronically ill individuals” among the deceased, it said, adding that the families of all the dead had now been identified.

Extreme heat has been named as a main factor behind the hundreds of deaths and injuries reported this year during the Hajj. Mecca, the holy city that is central for Hajj pilgrims, saw temperatures soar to a record-setting 125 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. Various authorities have also said the problems have been compounded by the number of unofficial pilgrimages.

And I'll bet those totals are still way off - as in way too low - given how many people go to the Hajj every year.

[anjulibai]

Those poor people. 

The House of Saud really suck. I have heard they are building all these luxury spa facilities for rich travelers at Mecca, which is just ridiculous (and destroying a bunch of gravers of Mohammed's family and friends in the process). All that money could be going to increase the number of Hajj visas and facilities so the unauthorized visitors have other options. 

If you are going to do the insult of destroying graves of the family of the person you are supposed to revere, then at least you can do is do it in the such a way that helps the poor, which you'd think Mohammed would prefer. 

I swear, the Saudi family has far more money than morals. 

[47of74]

1 hour ago, anjulibai said:

The House of Saud really suck. I have heard they are building all these luxury spa facilities for rich travelers at Mecca, which is just ridiculous (and destroying a bunch of gravers of Mohammed's family and friends in the process). All that money could be going to increase the number of Hajj visas and facilities so the unauthorized visitors have other options. 

If you are going to do the insult of destroying graves of the family of the person you are supposed to revere, then at least you can do is do it in the such a way that helps the poor, which you'd think Mohammed would prefer. 

I swear, the Saudi family has far more money than morals. 

What I think of the House of Saud is quite unprintable.  I still haven't forgotten who most of the hijackers were on 9/11 so the Saudis better check the temperature in Hell well before they ever assume I've forgiven them.  Especially given all the other shit they pulled.  One would think that House would take a lot more responsibility to ensure the safety of the pilgrims but I guess they don't really care.  And I'm pretty sure the contractors building all the hotels around the site don't give a shit because what the Sauds are paying them.

[NachosFlandersStyle]

Gift link to a Washington Post article about an American couple who died after paying some fly-by-night travel agency to arrange their trip: 

https://wapo.st/3XFR6wi

Honestly I don't love that this is in Quiver Full of Snark. These were not fundies, just ordinary immigrant Americans trying to fulfill an obligation of a mainstream religion. And it sounds like they were really wonderful people.

[Coconut Flan]

Good point.  We generally end up discussing all religious oriented topics in Snark.  Regular Catholic and Protestant discussion goes in Quiverful of Snark so it doesn't have to be fundie.  

Edited June 26 by Coconut Flan

[Ozlsn]

That Minnesota travel agency should be shut down. Honestly though where there is such a market for this they are going to end up with dodgy operators, and the sheer weight of numbers makes it very hard to manage at the Saudi end. The special visas, hotels and so forth are the attempt to keep the numbers manageable, as are building additional hotels and amenities but you still have ~1 billion people most of whom want and need to make the pilgrimage. One option I think they should employ is restricting the Hajj dates to first time adult pilgrims - if you've been before you can visit the holy sites outside of that time and gain the Islamic equivalent of karmic brownie points by sponsoring lower income Muslims to go.

But basically I think Saudi Arabia may need to look at a hard close of borders at those times, and possibly restrict entry to approved Hajj visa holders, residents and diplomats.

I feel incredibly sorry for those who died and their families, even if by their beliefs it could be a blessing. In this day and age dying on the Hajj should be a rare event, and they should have been able to come home filled with joy.

[hoipolloi]

The most recent WaPo story is harrowing. Canʻt imagine paying thousands to go to Saudi Arabia on a hajj only to find out you didnʻt have a valid visa or place to stay. Those tour operators should receive criminal charges. 

 

 

[ingridguerci94]

On 6/22/2024 at 8:54 AM, 47of74 said:

It was so hot in Saudi Arabia this year that hundreds of people on the Hajj pilgrimage died due to the extreme heat.

I do not mean this to be critical of those who died but any means, but I would say to the government of Saudi Arabia, "Hey, welcome to the consequences of your own actions." 

Mainly because their role in the current climate crisis.  Far as I'm concerned the Saudi government is responsible for all this.  If it hadn't been for them combating efforts to get climate change under control the effect it would have on Hajj pilgrims we wouldn't have these injuries and deaths now.  Maybe if they hadn't been actively supporting politicians opposed to clean energy going to the Hajj wouldn't be so dangerous now.

.

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Watch more: Kyonyuu × Genkai × Emaki 2 – Shinobi Girls on  phim hentai 

It will take a few more years until the date of Hajj moves out of the summer season. Next year, it will be early June, followed by late May the year after, and by 2029, it will be in April. It will be several decades before it cycles back into the summer months.

However, maybe they've managed to reduce the incidents of crowd crush deaths? We haven't experienced one in quite some time, even though they used to claim hundreds or thousands of lives.