More than 550 Hajj pilgrims die as intense heat wave grips Saudi Arabia

An annual rites pilgrimage has turned into a mass death event as an extreme heat wave grips Saudi Arabia, with temperatures soaring to over 50 C in some areas. Upwards of 550 pilgrims have died, mostly due to heat-related illness, during this year’s five-day Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of Islam’s holiest cities.

• More than 550 Hajj pilgrims die as intense heat wave grips Saudi Arabia