Over 1,000 Muslim worshippers die of heat exhaustion during Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia: report
Blistering temperatures in Mecca reached as high as 125 degrees during Islamic pilgrimage
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Over 1,000 individuals perished in the sweltering heat of Saudi Arabia this year during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to reports.
The lethal temperatures reaching as high as 125 degrees were compounded by tens of thousands of unregistered pilgrims stressing the Saudi infrastructure.
Approximately 1,081 worshipers from 10 different countries have reportedly died in the heat, according to a tally published by Agence France-Presse.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MUSLIM PILGRIMS COMPLETE THIS YEAR'S HAJJ AS DEADLY TRIPLE-DIGIT TEMPS SEAR MECCA
Pilgrims worship and walk in circles around the Kaaba after fulfilling the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Muslims to visit the Kaaba (in English, the House of Allah), the holiest site in the Islamic faith. The holy building is situated inside the Grand Mosque in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca.
Making the pilgrimage at least once is one of the Five Pillars of Islam — the mandatory acts of faith required of all Muslims.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Travel packages and bespoke accommodations are offered each year for the hundreds of thousands of Muslims who travel to complete the Hajj.
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A departing Turkish Muslim pilgrim rinses his head with cold water from a bottle to cool off as he waits in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca. (ABDEL GHANI BASHIR/AFP via Getty Images)
Registration ensures access to air-conditioned facilities and water stations — critical accommodations in the blistering heat.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, completing the Hajj without registration by exploiting tourist or work visas has become increasingly common.
The Saudi government attempts to crack down on this undocumented contingent of pilgrims, but tens of thousands of undercover pilgrims manage to visit the Kaaba each year.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Muslim pilgrims perform the farewell circumambulation or "tawaf," circling seven times around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca at the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP via Getty Images)
The dates of the Hajj are determined each year in accordance with the Islamic calendar. Next year, it will fall in early June.