Pilgrims returning from Hajj are recounting harrowing experiences and alleged mistreatment during their pilgrimage, claiming that many deaths attributed to heat stroke were actually due to neglect by Saudi authorities.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), between June 14 and 19, 2024, at least 1,301 pilgrims died in Mecca due to extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F), marking one of the deadliest Hajj seasons to date.
Among the deceased were ten Kashmiri pilgrims, including a husband-wife duo from Srinagar, who reportedly died from heat stroke in Arafat and Muzdalifah.
However, returning pilgrims dispute this narrative. “They did not die from heat strokes; they died because no one helped them,” said a Srinagar-based pilgrim. “We saw people fainting on the roads. When we tried to help, the police exhibited inhuman behavior, preventing us from even giving water to the fainting pilgrims.”
Another pilgrim recounted being rebuked by Saudi police when attempting to assist elderly men and women who had collapsed from the heat.
“They [Saudi Police] yelled at me, ‘Haaji uth-uthh [Go Go].’ I begged to sprinkle water on the faces of those fainting, but they didn’t allow it. They just yelled and asked me to leave the fainting pilgrims to their fate,” he said, expressing frustration over the apparent deliberate hardships imposed on pilgrims.
Pilgrims also accused Saudi authorities of intentionally making Hajj difficult and unattractive for Muslims worldwide by hiking prices and providing inadequate care.
“They want to make Hajj tiring and troublesome. Only Allah knows what is happening,” lamented one pilgrim—(KNO)