Six people have died of heatstroke during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, despite warnings from Saudi officials that temperatures could reach 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) at this year’s annual gathering.
All six dead were Jordanian citizens, and the Jordanian foreign ministry said Saturday it was coordinating with Saudi authorities in Jeddah on burial procedures and the transfer of their bodies back to Jordan.
According to the Saudi General Authority of Statistics, more than 1.8 million people are participating in the Hajj this year. The Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and the largest annual event in Saudi Arabia.