New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) Ninety-eight Indian Haj pilgrims have died this year so far, including six on the Day of Arafat – the day before Eid al-Adha, when millions of faithful congregated at the holy site amid the intense heat, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
Of the 98 Indians who died, while six died on the Day of Arafat, four died due to accidents, and the rest of the deaths were due to natural causes, like illness, old age and chronic illness, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said here.
“This year so far, 175,000 Indians have gone for Haj. The core Haj period is from May 9 to July 22. So far, 98 Indians have died, on account of natural causes, like illness, natural causes, chronic illness, and old age,” he said.
Last year 187 Indians died during Haj, he informed.
“This time because of the intense heat, and especially on the Day of Arafat, we heard that many people died due to the heat wave, mostly from other countries. From India, six Indians died on the Day of Arafat,” he added.
He also informed that the Indian Haj Mission in Jeddah works on a large scale, and is equipped with a medical mission, a hospital and ambulances on standby.
“And in case of eventuality we attend immediately and connect with their family and do whatever is necessary at the time,” he added.
The annual Hajj pilgrimage reaches its zenith on the Day of Arafat, when millions of Muslims from across the globe gather on the plains of Mount Arafat on the outskirts of Makkah.
This year it was observed on June 16.
