68 Indian Hajj pilgrims die from heat in Mecca , total death toll crosses 600

On one hand, India is experiencing record-breaking heat this time. On the other hand, the heat is also wreaking havoc in Saudi Arabia. The situation is such that more than 600 pilgrims have died during Hajj in Mecca amid the scorching heat. These include 68 Indian citizens. A diplomat in Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that 68 Indian citizens have died during the Hajj pilgrimage this year, taking the total death toll to more than 600. The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, "We have confirmed the death of about 68 people... some have died due to natural causes and many of them were elderly pilgrims and some have died due to weather conditions, we believe."

Arab diplomats said that the dead include 323 Egyptians and 60 Jordanians, and it was also clarified that the cause of death of all the Egyptians was heat. Other countries, including Indonesia, Iran, Senegal and Tunisia, have also confirmed deaths, although in many cases officials have not given the cause. A total of 645 people have been reported dead so far. More than 200 pilgrims were reported dead last year, most of them from Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has not provided information about the deaths.

The diplomat who confirmed the deaths of Indians said some Indian pilgrims were also missing, but he declined to give the exact number. He said, "This happens every year ... We cannot say that this year it is unusually high." "It is the same as last year, but we will get more information in the coming days." For the past several years, the Hajj has taken place during Saudi Arabia's extreme heat. According to a Saudi study published last month, the temperature in the area where the rituals are performed is rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) every decade.