Cairo: Officials say more than 1,000 pilgrims amid scorching heat died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

According to an AFP report, the death toll from recent events during the hajj stood at 1,126, with over half of the fatalities from Egypt.

A senior Saudi official provided information that the Saudi government had verified 577 deaths specifically on the two busiest days of the hajj: Saturday, when pilgrims gathered for prolonged prayers under the hot sun at Mount Arafat, and Sunday, during the ritual of "stoning the devil" in Mina.

The official acknowledged that the figure of 577 deaths was partial and did not encompass the entire duration of the hajj, which officially concluded on Wednesday. The incidents occurred amidst challenging weather conditions and severe temperatures.

The Hajj pilgrimage is a fundamental pillar of Islam, mandatory for all Muslims who are capable of undertaking it at least once in their lifetime.

Earlier reports from Saudi authorities indicated that approximately 1.8 million pilgrims participated in this year's hajj, a figure similar to that of the previous year, with 1.6 million arriving from outside Saudi Arabia.

Hajj Permits

Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed to individuals via a lottery.

Even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs spur many pilgrims to attempt the hajj without a permit, though they risk arrest and deportation if caught by Saudi security forces.

The irregular route, which can save pilgrims thousands of dollars, has become increasingly popular since 2019 when Saudi Arabia introduced a general tourism visa, making it easier to enter the Gulf kingdom.

Before this year's hajj, Saudi officials said they had cleared more than 300,000 would-be pilgrims from Mecca who did not have hajj permits. AFP