68 pilgrims from India die due to heat in Makkah, state reports
Riyadh: At least 550 people, including 68 pilgrims from India, have died due to scorching heat during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, as reported by international media.
The news agencies, citing two Arab diplomats’ statements, reported on Tuesday that several pilgrims developed health issues and died on account of the heat. The Saudi Arabian authorities are yet to officially release the number of deaths of the pilgrims, although an official read out the names of the pilgrims who had died as well as their nationalities, including Indians, Egyptians and Algerians. Several countries too have reported cases of their pilgrims dying due to the heat in Makkah as well as Jordan and Tunisia. The media has reported that 323 Egyptians had died in the heat in Makkah.
The temperature in the shade at the Grand Mosque, Makkah, went up to 51.8 degrees Celsius on Monday, as reported by the Saudi Arabian media. Prior to the news of pilgrims’ deaths, the local authorities had reportedly not found cases of unnatural death among the Muslim pilgrims, in spite of the high temperature. Onlookers, however, are learned to have mentioned cases of the pilgrims fainting during the symbolic stoning of the devil.
The medical complex in Makkah was found to have been provided strict security and only people claiming to be relatives of the dead were permitted to enter the complex.
The Hajj pilgrimage commenced on Friday this year, with millions of Muslims visiting Makkah annually, and ended on Wednesday. More than 1.83 million Muslims visited Makkah this year, including 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries, as per the figures provided by the Saudi Hajj authorities.
Hussein Al-Qahtani, spokesperson for the Saudi National Meteorological Center (NMC) reportedly stated that, following the Saudi Gazette, next year's Hajj will be the last Hajj in the summer season. The Hajj season will enter a new phase of climate change during the year 2026 and summer Hajj would not be held until after 17 years, Qahtani is learned to have declared.
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Thackerays, Wadettiwar attend Sharad Pawar's dinner meet in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar hosted a dinner for Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders in Mumbai, his first interaction with them after a spell of illness that had kept him away from public engagements recently.
The dinner meet, held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre on Monday night, was attended by key alliance leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, his son and MLA Aaditya Thackeray, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and former state Congress president Nana Patole.
Sources said discussions touched on the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections, with the terms of nine members — including Uddhav Thackeray — set to expire in May.
Earlier this month, MVA nominee Pawar and six candidates of the ruling Mahayuti alliance were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.
Last month, the 85-year-old former Union minister was admitted to a hospital in Pune twice following a chest infection and complaints of dehydration.
