Six Ghanaians have died in Mecca due to a severe heat wave sweeping through Saudi Arabia.
This brings the total number of Ghanaians who have died through the heat wave to eight.
Two died on June 13, 2024, due to the same situation.
Spokesperson for the Hajj Board, Abdul Rahman Alhassan Gomba, has confirmed this to the media.
Details available indicate that the pilgrims who were staying in Madina as part of their religious journey faced extreme temperatures exceeding 41 degrees Celsius.
Pilgrims were advised to stay within their tents during peak heat hours, between noon and 4 p.m. local time, as part of the efforts to address the situation.
Over 1,000 people have now died during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Reacting to this, Mr. Gomba said, “The temperature was so high—above 41 degrees Celsius.”.
“They asked the authorities to confine us to our camps between noon and 4 p.m. Saudi time. Later, we heard that some Georgians lost their lives in town.
“At the time, we didn’t even know that some Ghanaians were also going to lose their lives under the conditions said to be related to the heat waves that swept across Saudi Arabia on the day.”
He stated that initial reports suggested 13 Ghanaian nationals had died, although this number was later clarified to six after fingerprint verification at the mortuary.
These fatalities involved individuals suspected of travelling with non-Hajj visas, complicating identification efforts.
“The forensic centre at the mortuary, where the corpses are kept before being buried, had only managed to get six nationals from Ghana.
“When I asked him how they were doing it, they told me they were using fingerprints, and it was a laborious task,” Gomba explained.
“So, it will take days before the number of Ghanaians who died as a result of the heat wave will be established.
“Currently, we can say six people died during the heat wave, even though an autopsy report is not yet out regarding the subject.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
