Record-Breaking Heat Claims Over 1,100 Lives During the 2024 Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca

Mecca, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Around 1.8 million Muslims had gathered for the Hajj pilgrimage from all over the world.
Hundreds of deaths were due to heat exhaustion and related complications.
Over 1,100 pilgrims died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca on June 19, 2024.
Several thousand cases of heat exhaustion were reported by the Saudi Arabian Health Ministry.
Temperatures reached record-breaking highs of up to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca.
Record-Breaking Heat Claims Over 1,100 Lives During the 2024 Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca

Extreme heat claimed the lives of over 1,100 pilgrims during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 19, 2024. The tragic event marked one of the deadliest days in recent history for this annual Islamic tradition.

According to various sources, temperatures reached record-breaking highs of up to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca during the pilgrimage. The intense heat conditions took a toll on the health of many pilgrims, leading to hundreds of deaths due to heat exhaustion and other related complications.

The Hajj is a mandatory religious journey for every able-bodied Muslim once in their lifetime. In 2024, around 1.8 million Muslims from all over the world had gathered in Saudi Arabia for this sacred event.

Despite the tragic loss of life, officials have yet to release an official death toll or comment on the cause of these fatalities. However, several thousand cases of heat exhaustion were reported by the Saudi Arabian Health Ministry during the pilgrimage.

The extreme heat conditions also posed a risk for communicable illnesses to spread among the large crowds due to lack of pre-Hajj healthcare and close quarters.

Many families were left searching for their loved ones amidst the chaos, with hundreds of names circulating online. The Emergency Complex in Al-Muaisem neighborhood in Mecca became a hub for information about missing family members.

The tragic events during the Hajj pilgrimage serve as a reminder of the importance of proper planning and preparation for such large-scale religious gatherings, especially when it comes to ensuring adequate shelter, water, and medical facilities.


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Confidence

96%

Doubts
  • No official death toll has been released by Saudi Arabian authorities.
  • The cause of all fatalities has not been confirmed.

Sources

81%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Who or what is responsible for Hajj deaths in Saudi Arabia?

The Indian Express Deutsche Welle Thursday, 20 June 2024 15:30
  • Unique Points
    • Hundreds of pilgrims have died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat and lack of shelter or water.
    • Temperatures in Mecca reached 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) during the event.
    • Around 1.8 million Muslims from all over the world had been expected to perform Hajj.
    • Several thousand cases of 'heat exhaustion' have been reported by Saudi Arabian Health Ministry.
  • Accuracy
    • Over 1,000 individuals have died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article makes several statements that imply deception through selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author reports on the deaths of hundreds of pilgrims during Hajj in Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat and lack of shelter or water. However, they only mention the number of deaths from certain countries and do not provide an overall number or percentage of total pilgrims who died. This selective reporting creates a skewed perception for the reader. Additionally, the author uses emotional language such as 'shocking images', 'apparently close to death or dead', and 'desperate search for missing' to manipulate the reader's emotions and create a sense of urgency.
    • Around 1,000 pilgrims have died...
    • Friends and families are still searching Saudi hospitals or putting out calls for help on social media to try to find loved ones who arrived in Mecca but who are now missing...
    • Pilgrims from Egypt, Indonesia, Senegal, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, India and Tunisia have all died...
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article does not make direct accusations or assign blame for the deaths, instead reporting on the events and reactions to them. However, it does include some inflammatory rhetoric in describing the situation as'shameful' and highlighting that temperatures reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, there are examples of appeals to authority from Saudi Arabian health officials and references to overcrowding and overheating being 'serious problems in the past'.
    • Honestly, Hajj this year was shameful.
    • What started as a rumor on social media was confirmed: Hundreds of pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia, evidently due to extremely high temperatures and lack of shelter or water.
    • Several times I told the security personnel about a pilgrim who had fallen onto the ground. The distance to throw the stones was really too far and at the same time the sun was high, and it was so hot.
    • In the pilgrims’ home countries, a furious debate is taking place about who is to blame.
    • Unregistered pilgrims cannot access the same kinds of facilities — air conditioning, water, shade, and misting or cooling centers — that registered pilgrims can, which may have also caused casualties.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Extreme Heat Kills Hundreds Amid Pilgrimage

The Weather Channel The Weather Thursday, 20 June 2024 18:22
  • Unique Points
    • Extreme heat caused the deaths of hundreds of people during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca on June 19, 2024.
    • Over 500 individuals lost their lives due to the intense heat conditions experienced at the holy site.
  • Accuracy
    • Hundreds of pilgrims have died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat and lack of shelter or water.
    • At least 550 names of deceased individuals circulated online.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

91%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Hundreds died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid intense heat, officials say

The Associated Press News Wednesday, 19 June 2024 12:26
  • Unique Points
    • At least 550 names of deceased individuals circulated online
    • Many people went to the Emergency Complex in Al-Muaisem neighborhood in Mecca for information about missing family members
    • Communicable illnesses can spread among pilgrims due to large crowds and lack of pre-Hajj healthcare
    • Temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca during the Hajj
  • Accuracy
    • Hundreds of people died during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia
    • Intense high temperatures at Islamic holy sites caused deaths among pilgrims
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article does not contain any formal logical fallacies. However, it contains several informal fallacies: Dichotomous depiction and inflammatory rhetoric. The author presents the situation as a result of intense heat without providing evidence that this was the direct cause of death for all or most of the victims, creating a dichotomy between those who believe the heat was solely responsible and those who think other factors may have played a role. Additionally, phrases such as 'required of every able Muslim once in their life' and 'the number of dead this year suggests something caused the fatalities to swell' use inflammatory language that could mislead readers into believing that the Hajj itself is inherently dangerous or that there was a significant increase in deaths compared to previous years.
    • The number of dead this year suggests something caused the fatalities to swell.
    • the sheer number of participants makes ensuring their safety difficult.
    • the Hajj would be held in temperatures exceeding an extreme danger threshold from 2047 to 2052, and from 2079 to 2086.
  • Bias (95%)
    The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political, religious, ideological or monetary position. However, the author does use language that depicts the deaths during the Hajj pilgrimage as something unusual and significant. The author states 'the number of dead this year suggests something caused the fatalities to swell' and 'Many Egyptians said they lost track of their loved ones in the heat and the crowds'. This could be seen as an attempt to create a sense of urgency or importance around the issue, which could potentially sway readers' opinions. However, it is important to note that this is not an explicit bias towards a specific position and should not significantly impact the overall score.
    • Many Egyptians said they lost track of their loved ones in the heat and the crowds.
      • The number of dead this year suggests something caused the fatalities to swell.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication