No fewer than 19 pilgrims have died and many others reported missing due to extreme temperatures that crippled hajj rituals at the sacred city of Muna, Saudi Arabia.
Consequently, Saudi Arabia authorities declared a five-hour movement restriction at Muna, to reduce the impact of devastating weather conditions that escalated above 46 degrees Celsius, yesterday.
The stoning rite was also rescheduled for the later part of the day.
Jordan's foreign ministry confirmed that a significant percentage of her citizens on pilgrimage were part of those who lost their lives to the intense heat at Muna, where millions are residing to complete the stoning of the devil, among the mandatory rites.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) warned that critical health implications precipitating the high temperature include heatstroke, sudden collapse and death.
By the directives of the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, a new health guideline prohibited pilgrims from proceeding to Jamarat Bridge for the ritual of throwing stones from 11 am to 4.00 pm to ensure the well-being of pilgrims amid high temperatures and to prevent heat stress.
Security personnel were stationed at camps to enforce this restriction and prevent any pilgrim from departing before 4.00 pm.
NAHCON recently warned Nigerian pilgrims to avoid unnecessary exposure to the hot weather predicted to hit 50 degrees Celsius at Muna, one of the sacred sites where pilgrims cast pebbles against the devil.
Earlier, about three Nigerian pilgrims had been confirmed dead and one was missing, as the rituals entered the final stage. Pilgrims will start returning to Makkah today after completing their pelting at Muna and subsequently terminate the exercise with the circumambulation of the holy Kaaba.
About 3,000 pilgrims were affected by heat strokes and exhaustion during their journeys to and from the Jamarat for the stoning rite. Pilgrims from Africa were the least affected.
Saudi hospitals within the area were busy attending to patients, and further emergency calls to health officials were overwhelming, as some calls could not get immediate responses.