- The death toll of Jordanian pilgrims increases from 41 to 60.
- 323 of the dead pilgrims were Egyptians, Arab diplomats say.
- Pilgrims say they saw motionless bodies on the roadside during the Hajj.
At least 577 Hajj pilgrims have died in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia due to rising temperatures in the country in recent days. AFP reported.
According to the total figure from the hospital morgue in the Al Muaisem neighborhood of Mecca, at least 550 pilgrims died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage due to the intense heat.
However, the total number of deaths reported by several countries so far raised the tally to 577, according to AFP.
Two Arab diplomats, coordinating their countries' responses, revealed that among the pilgrims who died, 323 were Egyptians, most of whom succumbed to heat-related illnesses.
“All of them (the Egyptians) died because of the heat,” except one who suffered fatal injuries during a small clash in the crowd, one of the diplomats said.
Diplomats said at least 60 Jordanians also died, adding to the official count of 41 given earlier Tuesday by Amman.
The Hajj pilgrimage is increasingly affected by climate change, according to a Saudi study published last month that said temperatures in the area where the rituals take place were rising by 0.4°C every decade.
Temperatures reached 51.8C at Mecca's Grand Mosque on Monday, the Saudi national meteorological center said.
Several countries reported the deaths of at least 240 pilgrims last year, most of them Indonesians.
Pilgrims were seen on Monday in Mina, on the outskirts of Mecca, pouring bottles of water over their heads as volunteers handed out cold drinks and fast-melting chocolate ice cream to help them stay cool.
Saudi officials had advised pilgrims to use umbrellas, drink plenty of water and avoid sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day.
Some pilgrims described seeing motionless bodies on the side of the road and ambulance services that seemed overwhelmed at times.
According to Saudi authorities, around 1.8 million pilgrims participated in the Hajj this year, 1.6 million of them from abroad.
