At least 14 people from Jordan have died in extreme heat during the Muslim haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, South China Morning Post, quoting officials, reported.
A further 17 people are missing, the Jordanian foreign ministry said on Sunday, according to the state agency Petra.
The ministry had initially confirmed the deaths of six Jordanian pilgrims who had suffered heatstroke.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry has posted a message on microblogging site Platform X stating that the Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs, and the Consulate General of the Kingdom in Jeddah, is following up with the relevant Saudi authorities on the procedures for burying pilgrims and transporting the bodies of those whose families wish to be transported to the Kingdom as quickly as possible.
Ambassador Dr. Sufyan Al-Qudah, expressed his sincerest condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased pilgrims.
A search is under way for the 17 missing people.
The pilgrimage began in Mecca on Friday evening in blistering heat.
News of the deaths comes as pilgrims gathered atop Mount Arafat on Saturday, marking the main event of the pilgrimage, with the niece of one of the deceased telling CNN Arabic that her aunt had died on Mount Arafat and was buried in Saudi Arabia.
More than 1.8 million people are taking part in Hajj this year, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, CNN reported.
The Hajj is one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world and the largest annual event in Saudi Arabia.
