More than 1,000 dead from heat in Mecca
Temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca are taking a heavy toll on the hajj, the annual pilgrimage for Muslims in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Saudi weather service, the temperature rose to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 degrees Fahrenheit) at the Grand Mosque on Monday. Egypt already reported that 658 Egyptian nationals died during the hajj. The extreme heat already claimed the lives of more than 1,000 pilgrims.
This year, 1.8 million people are expected to participate in the pilgrimage, including 1.6 million pilgrims from abroad.
(Tagtik/Source: Belga/Illustration picture: ekrem via Pixabay)
