2024 Hajj: Six Ghanaians dead as intense heat wave kills over 1000 in Saudi Arabia

Six Ghanaian nationals have been reported dead in Mecca due to a heat wave that swept through Saudi Arabia.

This tragic development adds to the two deaths reported on June 13, raising the death toll to eight so far.

Abdul Rahman Alhassan Gomba, the Spokesperson of the Hajj Board, confirmed this to Umaru Sanda on Eyewitness News.

He noted that the pilgrims, who were staying in Madina as part of their religious journey, were subjected to extreme temperatures exceeding 41 degrees Celsius.

In response to the scorching heat, Saudi authorities mandated that all pilgrims remain within their tents during the peak heat hours between noon and 4 p.m. local time.

The situation worsened when reports emerged of fatalities among the pilgrims, initially involving some Georgian nationals. It was later revealed that Ghanaians were also among the victims of the heat wave.

More than 1,000 people have now died during the Hajj pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, according to Sky News.

“The temperature was so high—above 41 degrees Celsius,” A.R Gomda said, adding, “They asked the authorities to confine us to our camps between noon and 4 p.m. Saudi time. Later, we heard that some Georgians lost their lives in town. At the time, we didn’t even know that some Ghanaians were also going to lose their lives under the conditions said to be related to the heat waves that swept across Saudi Arabia on the day.

“I had the opportunity to speak with an official at the time word spread around the Ghanaian camp that 13 of our nationals had lost their lives. These people were persons who did not travel via the Hajj Board. These were people suspected of having travelled with a non-Hajj visa.

He continued: “The forensic centre at the morgue, where the corpses are kept before being buried, had only managed to get six nationals from Ghana. When I asked him how they were doing it, they told me they were using fingerprints, and it was a laborious task.

“So, it will take days before the number of Ghanaians who died as a result of the heat wave will be established. Currently, we can say six people died during the heat wave, even though an autopsy report is not yet out regarding the subject.”

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