Nearly 500 confirmed fatalities from Hajj heatwave as hundreds more feared dead

The official death toll from this year’s Hajj pilgrimage has soared to almost 500 and the true toll could be more than double that as reports emerged that as many as 600 Egyptian worshipers perished on the route to Mecca amid extreme heat.

At least 14 Malaysians, 165 Indonesians, 75 Jordanians, 35 Pakistanis, 49 Tunisians, 11 Iranians and 98 Indians have died, according to authorities in each country. A further 27 Jordanians are hospitalized and around 14 are still missing, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said.

The US State Department said multiple US citizens died during the Hajj pilgrimage but did not provide a number. “We can confirm the deaths of multiple U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families on their loss,” the State Department spokesperson said, adding that the agency stands ready to provide consular assistance.

Dozens of Iranians have also been hospitalized due to heatstroke and other conditions, the Iranian Red Crescent said Wednesday, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

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