A severe heat wave in Saudi Arabia has tragically claimed the lives of six Ghanaian nationals in Mecca. This incident raises the total death toll to eight, following two earlier deaths reported on June 13.
The Hajj Board’s Spokesperson, Abdul Rahman Alhassan Gomba, confirmed the news during an interview with Umaru Sanda on Eyewitness News monitored by InsiderGH.com.
Gomba explained that the pilgrims, who were staying in Madina as part of their religious journey, faced extreme temperatures soaring above 41 degrees Celsius.
To combat the intense heat, Saudi authorities instructed all pilgrims to remain inside their tents during the peak heat hours from noon to 4 p.m. local time. Despite these precautions, the heat wave led to multiple fatalities, initially reported among Georgian nationals and later confirmed to include Ghanaians.
According to Sky News, more than 1,000 people have died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage due to the extreme weather conditions.
“The temperature was exceedingly high—over 41 degrees Celsius,” said Gomba. “We were advised to stay in our camps between noon and 4 p.m. Saudi time. Initially, we heard about the deaths of some Georgians, and later, we learned that Ghanaians were also victims of the heat wave.”
Gomba mentioned that rumors initially suggested that 13 Ghanaians had perished. However, these individuals were not part of the official Hajj Board pilgrimage but had traveled using non-Hajj visas.
“The forensic center at the morgue, where the bodies are held before burial, has so far identified six Ghanaian nationals,” he continued. “They are using fingerprints for identification, which is a laborious process. It will take some days before we have a definitive number of Ghanaian casualties due to the heat wave. Currently, we can confirm six deaths, although the autopsy reports are still pending.”
The Hajj Board continues to work with Saudi authorities to identify and manage the situation amid this tragic development.
Source: InsiderGH.com
