The Pilgrimage to Mecca

At least 550 dead from the heat: "No place to take shelter"

The many deaths during this year's hajj have created a discussion about the grueling pilgrimage, writes AFP. Virtually all of the 550 deaths reported have been related to the extreme heat.

"The pilgrims are without food, water and air conditioning for a long time. People are dying from the heat because most of them had no place to take shelter," said an Egyptian official who oversees the country's pilgrims.

Saudi authorities have urged participants to avoid the sun during the hottest hours, but many of the rituals take place outdoors during the day. People on the scene in Mina, outside Mecca, testify that they saw lifeless bodies along the side of the road and that there is a shortage of ambulances.

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Hundreds of pilgrims dead during extremely hot hajj

At least 323 Egyptian pilgrims have died during the Muslim hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, diplomatic sources told AFP.

Among Indonesian pilgrims, at least 138 have died, the Indonesian consulate in Jeddah told CNN Indonesia. Iran and Jordan have also reported tens of deaths among their citizens.

Most of them have died as a result of the extreme heat in the Saudi city. Temperatures have at times approached 50 degrees.