The death toll during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has surpassed 1,000 this year amid scorching heat, AFP reported on Thursday, June 20.
In Islam’s holiest city, people searched for their missing relatives and friends as temperatures soared above 50 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, June 19. Earlier on Monday, the temperature in Mecca had reached 51.8 degrees Celsius.
Every year, nearly 1.8 million people from around the world visit Mecca to participate in the mostly outdoor pilgrimage. Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a journey that Muslims with the means are encouraged to undertake at least once in their lifetime.
