A couple from Maryland were among the more than 1,300 people who died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks announced Sunday.
According to Alsobrooks, Alhaji Aliu Dausi and Haja Isatu Urie, who was a volunteer for the senatorial campaign, died due to extreme heat during the Hajj pilgrimage.
“Haja Isatou Urie was an extremely active member of our community. She was involved in several community organizations and made a transformative impact that was felt both locally and globally,” Alsobrooks said. statement“Our deepest condolences go to the family at this difficult time. Their loss is profound and we will miss them deeply.”
Saudi Arabia’s health minister said Sunday that more than 1,300 people had died during the Hajj, a five-day pilgrimage that began June 14 and centered on the holy city of Mecca, with temperatures soaring to 125 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak.
Saudi authorities say 1.86 million people have performed the hajj this year, a pilgrimage considered a pillar of Islam that Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetime.
An Egyptian cabinet official told The Associated Press that about half of the dead – at least 630 – were Egyptians.
The dead include 165 pilgrims from Indonesia, 98 from India and dozens more from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
The causes of death have not been made public, but most are believed to have died from heat-related complications. The Associated Press reported that its journalists witnessed many pilgrims fainting or collapsing during the Hajj.
Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing Saudi Arabian officials, estimated that more than half of the dead were unregistered pilgrims, who lack access to air conditioning and other facilities to survive the bitterly cold temperatures.
Saudi Arabian authorities have expelled tens of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca, but AFP reported that around 400,000 unregistered pilgrims performed the hajj this year.
