According to officials of the Karnataka State Haj Committee, the deceased pilgrims have been identified as Kouser Rukhsana (69) from RT Nagar and Mohammed Ilyas (62) from Pulikeshi Nagar and a native of Chitradurga. “The tragedy struck when the pilgrims were taking part in the ritual of Ramy al-Jamarat (Stoning of the Devil) at Mina valley, located on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. Due to the intense heatwave conditions, most pilgrims wanted to complete the ritual at the earliest and reportedly there was a huge rush. The intense heatwave conditions have made it further difficult for the pilgrims, especially the senior citizens, as they become completely exhausted. Unable to withstand the heat, the two pilgrims from Karnataka, like many other nationals, have died of dehydration and sunstroke,” explained S Sarfaraz Khan, Executive Officer of the Karnataka State Haj Committee.
Khan revealed that the Saudi authorities were repeatedly appealing to pilgrims not to venture out in the afternoon sun. However, the pilgrims, in a bid to complete all the rituals, ended up in the valley, which was flooded with pilgrims from various countries. Both pilgrims, along with others in the batch, were due to return to Bengaluru on June 22, according to the officials.
Bodies to be buried in Saudi
As per the customs and agreement with the Saudi Arabian government, the bodies of pilgrims who die during the pilgrimage will not be brought back to their native country. “Death in the holy city, during the pilgrimage period, is regarded as the epitome of faith, and bodies of the deceased pilgrims are not brought back to their natives. In fact, the death toll of pilgrims kept increasing, and there was no place in any of the mortuaries. Hence, Saudi authorities have reportedly buried the bodies of the two pilgrims from Karnataka after performing the rituals,” Khan explained.
Even though every year one or two devotees die during the Hajj pilgrimage, it was largely due to comorbid conditions and age-related sickness. “But this year, it was unfortunate that pilgrims died due to heatwave conditions rather than any ailments. This year, the state government received 13,500 applications, out of which 10,500 applicants were selected. Karnataka’s quota was increased, and 3,000 more pilgrims were accommodated according to the officials. CM Siddaramaiah had flagged off the pilgrimage teams in the last week of May.