The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday that ninety-eight Indian pilgrims have passed away in Saudi Arabia during this year's Hajj pilgrimage. The deaths have been attributed to "natural illness and old age," according to government sources.

"Every year, many Indian pilgrims visit Hajj. This year, 1,75,000 Indian pilgrims have visited Saudi for Hajj so far. The core Hajj period is from July 9 to 22. So far, 98 Indian pilgrims have died. The causes are natural illness and old age," the Ministry stated, noting a decrease from last year's toll of 187 deaths.

Across all pilgrims, more than 1,000 deaths have occurred during this year's Hajj, exacerbated by intense heatwaves in Saudi Arabia's Mecca region. The scorching temperatures, which have soared above 50 degrees Celsius, have posed significant challenges to the pilgrims. Reports indicate that 658 pilgrims from Egypt alone have died, with 630 of them being unregistered pilgrims.

Several other countries, including Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, and Tunisia, have also reported deaths among their pilgrims. The extreme heatwave has heightened concerns, leading to reports of missing pilgrims and appeals on social media platforms for information about their whereabouts.

The hajj pilgrimage holds profound religious significance as one of the five pillars of Islam, obligating all Muslims with the means to undertake this journey at least once in their lifetime.

A study conducted by Saudi authorities revealed a concerning trend of rising temperatures in the pilgrimage area, increasing by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade. Last year, over 200 pilgrims lost their lives during Hajj, and more than 2,000 individuals suffered from heat-related stress as temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius.