Outlook Web Desk
The pictures and videos from Saudi Arabia show people who were undertaking their once-in-a-lifetime Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca collapsed on the side of the road or slumped in wheelchairs, apparently close to death or dead.
Temperatures in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, rose to 51.8 degrees Celsius during the course of the annual event, which started late last week.
Sources in the Saudi Arabian Health Ministry told Reuters news agency they had recorded 2,700 cases of "heat exhaustion."
According to AFP news agency, which has been tallying up fatalities via different sources and countries over the past few days, the death toll has topped 1,000.
Pilgrims from Egypt, Indonesia, Senegal, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, India and Tunisia have all died, their governments reported. A large number, likely over 300, came from Egypt. The Indonesian Health Ministry also reported the deaths of over 140 nationals.
In the pilgrims' home countries, a furious debate is taking place about who is to blame.
Unprecedented heatwaves in Saudi Arabia and alleged mismanagement by authorities are seen as major factors behind the high death toll.
Despite Saudi Health Ministry warnings to avoid heat exposure and stay hydrated, many pilgrims fell victim to heat stress and heatstroke.
According to several accounts, accommodation and facilities for pilgrims were poorly managed, with overcrowded tents lacking adequate cooling and sanitation facilities.
While registered pilgrims have access to facilities like air conditioning and misting centres through travel agents, unregistered pilgrims lack these essential services, which may have contributed to casualties.
One reason there may be many deaths every year at the Hajj is that many pilgrims go towards the end of their life, after saving for a lifetime. Many Muslims also go in the hopes that if they die, it is during the Hajj - as it is considered to be a blessing to die and be buried in the holy city.