More than 1,000 people have died while making the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, according to an AFP tally on Thursday. Officials said the main cause of death is extreme heat in the region as temperatures surpass 120 degree Fahrenheit (125 degrees Celsius). Thousands more are being treated for heatstroke.

More than 1,000 deaths have been reported from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as of Thursday, with extreme heat as high as 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 Celsius) being a major culprit and as impacts of climate change challenge the region.

The annual Muslim pilgrimage to the sacred city of Mecca that wrapped up last week became a death march for over 1,300 Hajj participants who died in temperatures that climbed above 124 degrees.

More than 1,000 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials said Sunday, June 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Read More By SAMY MAGDY Updated 5:46 PM PDT, June 23, 2024