What is behind the deaths in this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia?

Hundreds of people are thought to have died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia - most of them due to extreme heat as temperatures soared above 51 degrees Celsius.
The AFP news agency quoted an Arab diplomat as saying that 658 Egyptians had died. Indonesia said more than 200 of its nationals had died. India said 98 people were known to have died.
Pakistan, Malaysia, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Sudan and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region have also confirmed deaths.

The US believes a number of Americans have died, the Wall Street Journal reported. Friends and relatives have searched for the missing in hospitals and posted messages on the Internet.
On Friday, Jordan said it had arrested several travel agents who facilitated unofficial travel for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca.

Egypt is conducting a similar investigation. Later on Friday, Tunisian President Kais Saied fired the minister of religious affairs after local media reported that 49 Tunisians had died. A statement said most of those who died were unregistered pilgrims.
Hajj is the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca. All Muslims who are financially and physically able should perform the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. About 1.8 million people took part this year, Saudi Arabia says.
More than half of those who died were unregistered pilgrims and joined the Haj through irregular channels, leaving them unable to access cooling facilities such as air-conditioned tents and buses, AFP reports.
Saudi Arabia has increased Hajj security measures in recent years, but it still faces criticism for not doing enough, particularly for unregistered pilgrims. It has not yet commented on the deaths.
Here are some of the factors that may have caused the deaths.

Extreme heat

Unprecedented heat waves in Saudi Arabia are believed to be a major factor behind the high death toll. Despite warnings from the Saudi Ministry of Health to avoid heat exposure and stay hydrated, many pilgrims fell victim to the heat and heat stroke.

"It was only by the grace of God that I survived because it was extremely hot," said Aisha Idris, a Nigerian pilgrim, speaking to the BBC World Service's Newsday.

"I had to use an umbrella and constantly wash myself with Zamzem (holy water)," she said. Another pilgrim, Naimi, reportedly died of heatstroke, leaving her family searching for answers.

"Komunikimi me nënën time u ndërpre papritur. Kaluam ditë duke kërkuar, vetëm për të mësuar se ajo kishte vdekur gjatë Haxhit," tha djali i saj për BBC News Arabic, duke shtuar se ata do ta respektonin dëshirën e saj për t'u varrosur në Mekë.

Problemet e mbipopullimit 
Sipas disa llogarive, keqmenaxhimi nga autoritetet saudite përkeqësoi kushtet ekstreme, duke çuar në një krizë në shumë zona të caktuara për pelegrinët.
Ata thonë se akomodimi dhe objektet ishin menaxhuar keq, me tenda të mbipopulluara pa objekte adekuate ftohjeje dhe sanitare.
Amina (jo emri i saj i vërtetë), një 38-vjeçare nga Islamabadi, thotë: "Nuk kishte kondicioner në çadrat tona në vapën e Mekës. Ftohësit që ishin instaluar nuk kishin ujë shumicën e kohës.

Transporti
Pelegrinët shpesh detyroheshin të ecnin në distanca të gjata në vapë , duke fajësuar disa pengesa në rrugë dhe menaxhim të dobët.
Muhammad Acha, një organizator i Haxhit për një grup privat tha se gjatë verës, një pelegrini tipik mund t'i duhet të ecë të paktën 15 kilometra në ditë. Kjo i ekspozon ata ndaj goditjes nga nxehtësia, lodhjes dhe mungesës së ujit të disponueshëm,
"Ky është haxhi im i 18-të dhe në përvojën time, kontrollorët sauditë nuk janë lehtësues. Ata kontrollojnë, por nuk ndihmojnë," tha ai.
"Në vitet e mëparshme, kthesat kthesore për të hyrë në tenda ishin të hapura, por tani të gjitha ato rrugë janë mbyllur. Si rezultat, një pelegrin i zakonshëm, edhe nëse qëndron në një tendë të kategorisë A në Zonën I, duhet të ecë 2.5 kilometra në vapën e verës për të arritur në çadrën e tyre”, shpjegon ai.
"Nëse ka një emergjencë në këtë rrugë, askush nuk do t'ju arrijë për 30 minuta. Nuk ka rregullime për të shpëtuar jetë, as nuk ka pika uji përgjatë këtyre shtigjeve," shton Acha.

Undocumented Pilgrim
To perform the Hajj, a pilgrim must apply for a special Hajj visa.
But some individuals try to go on the five-day pilgrimage without proper documentation, despite efforts by Saudi officials to crack down.
Pilgrims without proper documentation often avoid the authorities, even when they need help.
This issue of "unofficial hajj" is believed to contribute to the excess deaths, and authorities have blamed them for some of the overcrowding in the tents.
"We suspect that those using non-Hajj visas have infiltrated Hajj areas," says Mustolih Siradj, chairman of Indonesia's National Hajj and Umrah Commission (Komnas Haji).
Saad Al-Qurashi, an adviser to the National Committee for Hajj and Umrah, told the BBC: "Anyone who does not have a visa for Hajj will not be tolerated and should return to [their] country."
He notes that irregular pilgrims are identified using Nusuk cards, which are issued to official pilgrims and contain a bar code for entering holy sites.

Elderly, Infirm or Sick Pilgrims
One reason that there may be many deaths each year in the Hajj is that many pilgrims go towards the end of their lives, having saved for a lifetime.
Many Muslims also go with the hope that if they die, it will be during the Hajj - as it is considered a blessing to die and be buried in the holy city.

What happens if someone dies while performing Hajj?
When a pilgrim dies while performing the Hajj, the death is reported to the Hajj Mission. They use wristbands or neck IDs to confirm identity. Then, they get a doctor's certificate and Saudi Arabia issues a death certificate.
Funeral prayers take place in important mosques such as Masjid al-Haram in Mecca or the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, depending on this. The body is washed, wrapped and moved to a freezer provided by the Saudi government, which covers all expenses.
Burials are simple, unmarked, sometimes with many bodies in one place. The cemetery book lists who is buried where, so families can visit the graves if they want.
The Saudi government, with the help of various groups and the Red Crescent, says it ensures "dignified and respectful burial processes". BBC