At least 19 of the pilgrims died and 17 were missing

The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, began Friday in Mecca, western Saudi Arabia, with more than 1.8 million pilgrims participating, most of them from abroad.

It was one of the hottest parts of the world in mid-summer this year, with the thermometer hitting 46 degrees on Saturday.

Saudi authorities do not report the number of hyperthermia cases seen among pilgrims, but last year, more than 10,000 cases were recorded, 10% of which were heat stroke, the most common case.

Searching for missing persons

“Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died and 17 went missing while performing Hajj rituals,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said Sunday, according to a statement published by the official Petra news agency.

“The ministry is following the procedures for the burial of the pilgrims and the transportation of the bodies of those who wish to be transferred to the Kingdom with competent Saudi authorities,” he added, adding that the search was ongoing. 17 pilgrims are missing.

For his part, the head of the Iranian Red Cross, Birhossein Koulivant, said, “Five Iranian pilgrims have lost their lives. […] to Makkah and Madinah during Hajj this year”

Details of the circumstances surrounding the pilgrims’ deaths were not immediately available.