Hajj heatwave deaths: Ugandan pilgrims safe

None of the more than 1,500 pilgrims that took part in this year’s annual Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah) died, the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs (UBHA) has said.

More than 1,000 pilgrims, mainly from Egypt, Jordan, India, Iran, and Nigeria, died at Jamarat facility between June 16 to 17 as temperatures reached at least 51.8C (125F) in the holy city.

According to the UBHA secretary-general, Hajji Hassan Bogere, all Ugandans who went for the holy pilgrimage are safe.

“We heard about the deaths through the media but none of the pilgrims in the Ugandan camp has been reported missing or dead,” Hajji Bogere told The Friday Call from Makkah.

“Most of our pilgrims have the common colds and flu, but also, we had three pilgrims who got seriously sick but their condition was managed. We have managed to provide the necessary medication; they are steadily recovering,” he added.

Some of the sick Ugandans reportedly arrived in Makkah with pre-existing health conditions and that they had prepared accordingly to manage them.

Saudi authorities blamed the heatwave deaths on non-adherence to the guidelines.

Bogere said, the Ugandan contingent adhered to regulations as set by the Saudi Arabian government.

“We advised our pilgrims to perform their rituals in the morning hours and others in the evening when the temperatures are a bit bearable,” he said.