Photo: A large number of pilgrims left the Grand Mosque in Mecca on the 18th. \AFP

[Ta Kung Pao News]According to reports from AFP and AP: As of June 18, at least 570 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and the cause of death for the vast majority of them was related to high temperatures. The Saudi National Meteorological Center said that the temperature in Mecca reached 47°C on the 17th, and the temperature in the Grand Mosque of Mecca reached a maximum of 51.8°C.

Agence France-Presse said at least 323 of the dead were Egyptians, all of whom died from the heat, except for one who died from injuries in a stampede. At least 60 Jordanians also died. Saudi authorities are providing treatment for more than 2,000 pilgrims suffering from heat stroke.

This year’s pilgrimage began on June 14 and ended on June 19. Saudi officials said that more than 1.83 million people participated in the pilgrimage this year, of which more than 1.6 million came from 22 different countries outside Saudi Arabia.

Although Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on crowd control and security measures for the annual pilgrimage, it is still difficult to ensure their safety due to the large number of participants. And the increase in extreme weather may increase the risk. A Saudi study published last month pointed out that the Mecca pilgrimage is increasingly affected by climate change, with temperatures in the area where the ceremony is held rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius every 10 years.

An article published in the journal Infection and Public Health in April stated that the annual Hajj attracts a large number of pilgrims from low-income countries, many of whom are elderly people with existing health problems.