“The number of pilgrims who have lost their lives this year is 19. Only one of them went to Saudi Arabia from the endowment ministry. This person is from the Garmiyan area,” Rozhgar Jaafar, head of media for the Kurdistan Region’s delegation to Hajj, told Rudaw on Thursday.
The other 18 were in Saudi Arabia on tourist visas.
Kurdish authorities registered nearly 4,600 people to attend the annual pilgrimage this year, but almost all of those who died entered Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa - a violation of the regulations put in place by the kingdom for the Hajj.
In total, over 1,000 pilgrims have died following heatwaves this year, according to a tally published by AFP on Thursday.
The annual Hajj, a religious obligation for all Muslims who are financially and physically capable, draws millions of Muslims worldwide to gather in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims journey to sacred sites throughout the country, including the Kaaba in Mecca, which is the holiest site in Islam.
Official attendance at the Hajj is done through expensive permits, but thousands who cannot afford these choose to make the pilgrimage through other routes. Without registration, they are unable to access services like air conditioned facilities, likely contributing to their deaths, AFP reported.
