Mecca: The annual Hajj pilgrimage drew to a close on Monday without major incident, despite a number of deaths. A total of 1.6 million Muslims from all over the world participated in this year's pilgrimage to the Saudi city of Mecca.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event was successful and passed without major incidents, as stated by Prince Saud bin Mishaal, vice chairman of the Permanent Hajj and Umrah Committee. He noted that the pilgrimage had been free of health or service-related incidents. However, Iran's IRNA state news agency reported that 13 Iranian pilgrims died due to the extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, last year saw over 1,300 deaths when temperatures soared to 50 degrees. This year, Saudi authorities implemented stricter measures to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster, including more rigorous enforcement against pilgrims without official permits, who have historically received less care.
The Saudi weather service indicated that the Hajj will occur in cooler months in the years ahead, as it follows the lunar calendar. It will be 25 years before the pilgrimage coincides with the hottest summer months again.
The large crowds present annual challenges for the authorities. On Sunday, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that more than 100,000 people entered the Great Mosque of Mecca every hour. Performing the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime is one of the five religious duties for Muslims who are physically and financially able to do so. During the record year of 2012, more than 3 million people are estimated to have participated.
