Saudi Arabia\u2019s health minister said on Sunday the death toll during this year\u2019s Hajj pilgrimage reached 1,301.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to state television, Fahd al-Jalajel said that 83 percent of the deceased were pilgrims who had undertaken the journey without the necessary permits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Temperatures soared past 50 degrees Celsius in Mecca, and a recent study suggests rising temperatures are a growing concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The physical exertion of the pilgrimage, combined with the heat and lack of proper rest, is believed to be a major factor in the deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Saudi authorities, more than 1.8 million people participated in the Hajj pilgrimage this year, amid record high temperatures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Saudi Arabia\u2019s health minister said on Sunday the death toll during this year\u2019s Hajj pilgrimage reached 1,301. Speaking to state television, Fahd al-Jalajel said that 83 percent of the deceased were pilgrims who had undertaken the journey without the necessary permits. Temperatures soared past 50 degrees Celsius in Mecca, and a recent study suggests rising temperatures are …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":106985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[31,30],"tags":[8673],"class_list":["post-106984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-world","tag-deaths-during-hajj-pilgrimage"],"yoast_head":"\n