Hundreds of visitors have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca amid scorching heat, according to press reports and foreign ministries.

At least 550 people have died on Hajj, diplomats told French outlet Agence France Presse (AFP) on Tuesday. Three hundred and twenty-three of the deceased were Egyptians, most of whom perished due to heat-related illnesses, AFP reported, citing two Arab diplomats.

Stampedes, tent fires, and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths during Hajj to Saudi Arabia in the past 30 years. The pilgrimage began on Friday.

Saudi state TV reported that temperatures rose on Monday to as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit) in the shade at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

A 2024 study by the Journal of Travel and Medicine found that rising global temperatures may outpace strategies to deal with the heat. A 2019 study by Geophysical Research Letters stated that as temperatures rise in arid Saudi Arabia due to climate change, pilgrims performing Hajj will face “extreme danger.”

Thirty-five Tunisian citizens have died during the Hajj, according to the Tunisian news agency Tunis Afrique Presse. Many of those deaths were attributed to extreme heat, family members said on social media, as other families continued to search for missing relatives in Saudi hospitals.

The Jordanian foreign ministry reported it had issued 41 burial permits for Jordanian pilgrims on Tuesday. Earlier, the ministry noted that at least six Jordanian citizens died of heat stroke during the Hajj.

Eleven Iranians have died, and 24 were hospitalized during the pilgrimage, Iranian state news outlet IRINN reported on Tuesday without specifying the causes of death.

Three Senegalese citizens also died during Hajj, as reported by Agence de Presse Sénégalaise on Monday.

One hundred and forty-four Indonesian citizens died during the pilgrimage, according to Indonesian health ministry data released on Tuesday. The data did not specify if any of the deaths were due to heat stroke.

The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage that millions of Muslims make to Mecca to perform religious rites as taught by the Prophet Mohammad to his followers 14 centuries ago.

A Saudi health official, speaking to Reuters on Monday before many of the reports of deaths were issued, said that authorities had not noticed any unusual fatalities among Muslim pilgrims amid the extremely high temperatures.

The ministry had so far treated more than 2,700 pilgrims who suffered from heat-related illnesses, he added.

Muslim pilgrims were wrapping up the Hajj pilgrimage in the deadly summer heat on Tuesday with the third day of the symbolic stoning of the devil and the farewell circling around the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque.

A pilgrim receives a cold water spray during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 18, 2024. Rafiq Maqbool / AP

“Hajj is a difficult task, so you have to exert efforts and perform the rituals even in the conditions of heat and crowding,” an Egyptian pilgrim told Reuters on Sunday.

Pilgrims used umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun, as Saudi authorities warned pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours between 11 a.m. (0800 GMT) and 3 p.m.

Hajj, one of the largest mass gatherings in the world, is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for able-bodied Muslims who can afford it. It will end on Wednesday.

More than 1.8 million pilgrims were expected to take part this year, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics.

The Saudi government has deployed tens of thousands of health workers, volunteers, and security personnel to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims. Mobile clinics and ambulances were stationed throughout the pilgrimage sites to provide immediate medical assistance. Despite these measures, the extreme heat has posed a significant challenge, exacerbating health risks for the pilgrims.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has urged all participants to follow safety guidelines, use cooling stations, and seek medical help if experiencing symptoms of heatstroke. They have also introduced new technologies, such as smart bracelets, to help monitor and locate pilgrims in distress.

The tragedy highlights the need for continued improvements in the management of large-scale events in extreme weather conditions. Experts are calling for enhanced infrastructure, better shade and cooling facilities, and more comprehensive health monitoring systems to protect pilgrims in the future.

The international community has expressed condolences and solidarity with the affected families and countries. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for an emergency meeting to discuss measures to prevent such tragedies in future Hajj pilgrimages.

As Hajj concludes, the focus will shift to analyzing the incident and implementing lessons learned to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims in the coming years. The Saudi authorities have pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths and review their heat management strategies for future Hajj seasons.

This year’s tragedy underscores the critical need for enhanced safety measures and proactive planning to address the risks associated with climate change and extreme weather events. The Saudi government, along with international health and safety experts, will need to work collaboratively to develop robust solutions that can safeguard the millions of pilgrims who undertake this sacred journey each year.