According to the Ministry of Health, more than 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone.
At least 19 people died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Many pilgrims participated in the second day of the symbolic stoning of the devil, near Mecca, where temperatures reached 48 ° Caccording to the Saudi National Center for Meteorology.
More than 2,760 people suffered from sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone, the health ministry said.
“It’s very difficult and very tiring. The temperature is abnormal compared to previous years and this affects us a lot”said Ahmed Al-Baradie, an Egyptian pilgrim, after the ceremony.
Jordan announced on Sunday that 14 Jordanian pilgrims died of sunstroke, as did 5 Iranians.
A central pilgrimage for the Muslim religion
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. All Muslims are required to perform this five-day pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime, if they are physically and financially capable.
The last days of Hajj coincide with the celebration by Muslims around the world of the festival of Eid al-Adha.
On Saturday, the pilgrims went to the sacred Mount Arafat, where they spent their day in meditation and prayer. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the “Hill of Mercy”, is considered the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage.
The stoning of the pillars representing the devil took place the next day, Sunday, in Mina, a desert plain just outside the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
A final stoning is planned for Tuesday, before the farewell Tawaf, which consists of going around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building which sits in the center of the great mosque of Mecca.
More than 1.83 million Muslims are participating in the Hajj this year, slightly less than last year (1.84 million), according to Saudi authorities.
