THE Department of Foreign Affairs announced the death of a Filipino woman based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as among the over 900 people who perished due to extreme heat during the Hajj pilgrimage.
“So far, only one female Riyadh-based Filipino pilgrim died of natural causes (heatstroke) in Makkah,” said DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega in a message on Thursday.
De Vega said the Filipino fatality was buried on Wednesday.
There are about 5,100 Filipino pilgrims this year, De Vega also said.
The DFA has already sent a team to Saudi Arabia to assist the Philippine Embassy in monitoring and assisting Hajj pilgrims this year.
According to Agence France-Press that the reported death toll so far was at 922, based on a tally of figures released by various countries.
Some of these people reportedly died due to sunstroke brought about by the intense heat. Temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, on Monday.
The yearly Hajj pilgrimage is considered one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, mandating a Muslim to perform it once in their lifetime.
metrosundaily
