The family of Ngatijo Wongso Sentono, an elderly Indonesian man who died during this year’s Hajj, finds solace in his burial in the holy city of Mecca, according to his daughter. Heru Jumartiyah shared her father’s story amidst the mourning of hundreds of Indonesian pilgrims who perished in extreme heat during the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
This year’s Hajj saw more than 1,300 deaths, with many attributed to heat stress, as temperatures soared to dangerous levels. Over 1.8 million pilgrims participated in the pilgrimage, with Indonesian authorities confirming at least 215 deaths among their citizens, making Indonesia the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
Ngatijo Wongso Sentono, 86, passed away on June 17 in his tent in Mina, southeast of Mecca, as he waited for midday prayers. “He was asleep and had no symptoms of sickness before. Everyone said he was healthy during the Hajj procession,” Jumartiyah told CNN.
Sentono had registered for the Hajj in 2018 and traveled to Mecca with his 83-year-old wife and neighbors from Yogyakarta. “My father was very enthusiastic about going on the Hajj. He wanted to leave immediately,” Jumartiyah said.
Performing Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring every Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. According to Islamic belief, dying and being buried in Mecca is considered a blessing, and many elderly Muslims save for years to make the pilgrimage. “We are happy that he was buried in Mecca,” Jumartiyah said, expressing her hope to visit her father’s grave when she makes the pilgrimage.
Jumartiyah’s mother, Pariyem Prawirodinomo, is healthy and expected to return to Indonesia on July 7.
This year, around 241,000 Indonesian pilgrims were scheduled to travel to Mecca, marking the country’s largest-ever quota. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, most Indonesians who died during this year’s pilgrimage were over 50 years old. Historically, Indonesia has registered hundreds of deaths during each year’s Hajj, with 773 deaths recorded last year.
Extreme heat has been identified as a major factor behind this year’s deaths and injuries. Mecca experienced record temperatures of 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) on Monday. The situation was exacerbated by the number of unofficial pilgrimages. The Saudi government stated that “unauthorized” trips accounted for more than four out of five of the fatalities.
Saudi Arabia requires each pilgrim to acquire one of the 1.8 million available licenses to legally access Mecca. These licenses, which can cost several thousand US dollars, ensure pilgrims travel in organized tour buses with air conditioning and have easy access to water and food supplies. Unlicensed pilgrims often lack these amenities, increasing their risk of heat-related illnesses.
Pilgrims perform a series of rituals in and around Mecca, often involving hours of walking in the scorching heat. Some have criticized the poor infrastructure and organization of this year’s Hajj. Even those on official tours spent much of their day walking outdoors in extreme heat.
Witnesses reported seeing worshippers losing consciousness and bodies covered in white cloth. Ahmad, a 44-year-old Indonesian man, recounted seeing many pilgrims succumb to the heat. “Almost every few hundred meters, there was a body lying and covered with an ihrom (white fabric) cloth,” he said, noting the scarcity of health workers and ambulances.
In recent decades, the sheer size of Hajj crowds has contributed to deadly incidents, including a 2015 stampede that killed hundreds. Experts warn that rising temperatures pose the deadliest threat to pilgrims, making mass gatherings increasingly risky.
Climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera noted that deserts in the region are “warming at night much faster than during the daytime,” reducing the respite from heat that nightfall once provided. “Everybody is affected by deadly heat, and sadly I am not surprised by the Hajj death toll,” Herrera said. “Spending time outdoors in the extreme Mecca heat is risking death … so I am afraid there will be more deadly Hajj pilgrimages in the future.”
