Hundreds of Haj heat deaths test Saudi Arabia's climate preparedness

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun as they arrive at the base of Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the annual hajj pilgrimage on June 15, 2024. Saudi Arabia said on June 23 that more than 1,300 faithful died during the hajj pilgrimage which took place during intense heat, and that most of the deceased did not have official permits. - AFP

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Adil Kachwala, 39, was heading back to his camp during the Hajj pilgrimage last week when people started fainting around him. Two older members of the group of British worshippers he belonged to couldn’t go on as temperatures soared to 46C (114F), so he walked the 10 minutes to his tent to get help.

The response from an official on duty: Saudi Arabian authorities had told him to only staff the tents and he couldn’t offer assistance outdoors. "My exact words were, ‘So do you want those guys to die?’ Kachwala said. "He said, ‘I can’t do anything.’” There were medics and volunteers outside, but they were outnumbered by the people who needed help from the unbearable heat.