News - AFP: At least 550 pilgrims die from extreme heat during Hajj in Saudi Arabia

At least 550 pilgrims from Islamic countries died due to the extreme heat during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, sources in the diplomatic circles of unnamed Arab countries say, reports AFP. According to their data, the bodies were transferred to one of the largest morgues in Mecca, and 323 of the total number of dead were Egyptian citizens. The air temperature in Mecca during the Hajj this year reaches almost 52 degrees Celsius. On June 16, Reuters reported that 14 pilgrims from Jordan were killed and 17 others went missing in Saudi Arabia. Deaths are often caused by extreme heat or overcrowding. There are more than 1.8 million pilgrims in Mecca, according to the aforesaid news agency. On Tuesday, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, announced the death of at least 11 pilgrims from Iran.