Hundreds of people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced intense high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials said on Wednesday as people tried to claim their loved ones’ bodies.

Saudi Arabia has not commented on the death toll amid the heat during the pilgrimage, required of every able Muslim once in their life, nor offered any causes for those who died.

However, hundreds of people had lined up at the Emergency Complex in Al-Muaisem neighbourhood in Mecca trying to get information about their missing family members.

One list circulating online suggested at least 550 people died during the five-day Hajj. A medic who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss information not released publicly by the government said that the names listed appeared genuine. That medic and another official who also spoke on condition of anonymity said they believed at least 600 bodies were at the facility. The list offered no cause of death.

Each year, the Hajj draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from low-income nations, “many of whom have had little, if any, pre-Hajj health care,” an article in the April edition of the Journal of Infection and Public Health said. Communicable illnesses can spread among the gathered masses, many of whom saved their entire lives for their trips and can be elderly with preexisting health conditions, the paper added.

However, the number of dead this year suggests something caused the number of deaths to swell. Already, several countries have said some of their pilgrims died because of the heat that swept across the holy sites at Mecca including Jordan and Tunisia.

Temperatures on Tuesday reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca and the sacred sites in and around the city, according to the Saudi National Center for Meteorology. Onlookers saw some people faint while trying to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil.

Others, including many Egyptians, lost track of their loved ones in the heat and the crowds. More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj in 2024, including more than 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries, and around 222,000 Saudi citizens and residents, according to the Saudi Hajj authorities.

On Wednesday at the medical complex in Mecca an Egyptian man collapsed to the ground when he heard the name of mother among the dead. He cried for some time before grabbing his cellphone and calling a travel agent, shouting: “He left her to die!” The crowd tried to calm the man.

Security appeared tight at the complex, with an official reading out names of the dead and the nationalities, which included people from Algeria, Egypt and India. Those who said they were kin of the dead were allowed inside to identify the deceased.

The AP could not independently confirm the cause of death at the complex. Saudi officials did not respond to questions seeking more information.

The kingdom’s ruling Al Saud family maintains a major influence in the Muslim world through its oil wealth and management of Islam’s holiest sites. Like Saudi monarchs before him, King Salman has taken the title of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, referring to the Grand Mosque in Mecca home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims pray towards five times a day, and the Prophets mosque in the nearby city of madina

Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on crowd control and safety measures for those attending the annual five-day pilgrimage, but the sheer number of participants makes ensuring their safety difficult.

Climate change could make the risk even greater. A 2019 study by experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that even if the world succeeds in mitigating the worst effects of climate change, the Hajj would be held in temperatures exceeding an “extreme danger threshold” from 2047 to 2052, and from 2079 to 2086.

Islam follows a lunar calendar, so the Hajj falls around 11 days earlier each year. In 2030, the Hajj will occur in April, and over the next several years it will fall in the winter, when temperatures are milder.

A 2015 stampede in Mina during the hajj killed over 2,400 pilgrims, the deadliest incident to ever strike the pilgrimage, an AP count showed. Saudi Arabia has never acknowledged the full toll of the stampede. A separate crane collapse at Mecca”s Grand Mosque, which preceded the Mina disaster, killed 111 people.

The second-deadliest incident at hajj was a 1990 stampede that killed 1,426 people.

In his letter addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman, he said the statues of national leaders have been relocated to a separate corner “artbitrarily” without any consultation and this amounts to violation of the basic spirit of democracy.

He said he has written in the context of relocation of statues of major leaders in the Parliament House complex and the statues have been removed from their prominent places and relocated to a separate corner.

“I wish to emphasise at the very threshold that such removal of the statues  arbitrarily, without any consultation, violates the basic spirit of our democracy. Needless to mention that the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and other national leaders were situated at prominent locations after due deliberation and consideration. Each statues and its location across the Parliament House complex held immense value and significance,” Kharge said in his letter sent separately to the Speaker and RS Chairman.

He said thestatues  of Mahatma Gandhi in a meditative posture originally installed on October 2, 1993 in front of the old Parliament building held immense significance for India’s democratic polity.

Over the decades, this space had assumed sacrosanct value and members of Parliament (MPs) as well as visitors paid their respects to Mahatma Gandhi imbibing within themselves the spirit of the Mahatma.

“It is at this place that Members sought to voice concerns of the people in a democratic manner to draw the attention of the government seeking due redressal,” he noted.

In this context, he also drew the attention to the statues of Ambedkar which was installed on April 2, 1967 in the Parliament House precincts and its placement facilitated seamless movement of people paying their tributes to him on his birth and death anniversaries.

“The location of the statues had also proved to be quite convenient vis-à-vis general public’s movement and security concerns. The vantage point at which the statue was installed as well as the posture of the statue held great significance,” the Congress chief said.

The message which the statue of Babasaheb sought to convey was to extol the generations of parliamentarians to steadfastly hold on to values and principles enshrined in the Constitution of India, he said.

Kharge, in his letter, recalled that during his student days in mid-1960s he was at the forefront of demanding installation of the statues in the precincts of the Parliament House and noted that such concerted efforts eventually resulted in installing of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statues at the place where it was hitherto before placed.

“I am constrained to state this with anguish that all this has now been brought to a naught in an arbitrary and unilateral manner,” the Congress leader said.

The Congress chief, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, pointed out that there is a dedicated committee for installing portraits and statues of national leaders and MPs in the Parliament House Complex – “Committee on the Installation of Portraits and statuesof National Leaders and Parliamentarians in the Parliament House Complex” but the panel has not been reconstituted since 2019.

“Hence, such decisions made without any proper discussion and deliberation with relevant stakeholders are against the rules and traditions of our Parliament. Therefore, I demand that the  statuesof Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and other national leaders who greatly contributed for the unity and integrity of our nation must be relocated to their original locations with due respect and regard,” he wrote.

The Congress has taken strong objection to the shifting of the statues

The opposition parties have often held protest marches and agitations within the Parliament complex before the statues of Gandhi and Ambedkar.

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government on Wednesday approved a proposal to increase the salaries and other perks of the chief minister, leader of opposition, speaker, ministers, and legislators by up to 50 per cent.

While legislators will receive a maximum salary hike of 50 per cent, CM and ministers will see increases of about 25 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively. The approval was granted during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Champai Soren.

Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel confirmed the approval, stating, “The cabinet has approved the hike in salaries, allowances, and other perks for legislators, ministers, the Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Chief Minister, and Assembly officials.”

The basic salary of the CM has been increased from Rs 80,000 per month to Rs 1 lakh. Ministers’ salaries have been raised from Rs 65,000 to Rs 85,000, and legislators’ pay from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000.

The Speaker’s basic salary has increased from Rs 78,000 per month to Rs 98,000, the leader of opposition’s from Rs 65,000 to Rs 85,000, and the chief whip’s from Rs 55,000 to Rs 75,000.

In addition to salary hikes, allowances and other perks were also approved.

The area allowance for the CM was increased from Rs 80,000 to Rs 95,000 per month, and the refreshment allowance from Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000.

Ministers will now receive a kshetra bharta (area allowance) of Rs 95,000, up from Rs 80,000, and refreshment allowance of Rs 55,000, up from Rs 45,000. Legislators’ area allowance was raised from Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000 per month, and their refreshment allowance from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.

The decision followed the recommendations of a five-member panel set up to review the salaries and perks of the Chief Minister, ministers, Speaker, leader of opposition, chief whip, and whip.

The panel submitted its report in December last year, recommending a 25 per cent salary hike for the CM and about 31 per cent for other ministers.

Additionally, in August last year, another committee proposed raising the basic salary of MLAs from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 and suggested increases in other perks for legislators.

 A man was allegedly lynched here by a mob that accused him of theft, triggering communal tension.

Six people were arrested after the mob attack on Fareed (35) on Tuesday night in Mamu Bhanja locality, police said. Seven people, part of the mob, have been identified.

According to a complaint filed by the victim’s family, Fareed was returning home from work when he was mobbed and thrashed by some residents on Tuesday night in the Mamu Bhanja locality over suspicion of theft, Superintendent of Police City M Shekhar Pathak said.

By the time police reached the spot, Fareed was seriously injured and was rushed to the Malkhan Singh Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said.

As the news of the incident spread, many people gathered at the hospital and demanded the arrest of the accused, he said.

Pathak said the arrests have been made based on CCTV footage, and some other unidentified people have also been booked. Further investigation is underway.

SSP Sanjay Suman told the reporters that all precautionary measures have been enforced. Police and RAF (Rapid Action Force) have been deployed in sensitive localities including Subzi Mandi and Abdul Kareem Chowk.

The sector scheme has been enforced in all sensitive areas of the city, he added.

Meanwhile, people from both Hindu and Muslim communities gathered at some spots in the old city near Railway Road and some shops shut down their shutters, he said.

Police patrolling has been intensified in some areas identified as “sensitive spots”, he added.

Several BJP leaders led by the city MLA Muktar Varshney staged a “dharna” near the Railway Road, demanding that no innocent person should be arrested based on fabricated evidence.

SP Pathak assured that arrests will be made following the due process of law.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray

 Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday asserted he will never go with those who tried to “finish off” his party, putting paid to speculation about a possible reconciliation with the BJP post the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing an event organised here on the 58th Foundation Day of the Shiv Sena, Thackeray said the Narendra Modi government, which took office on June 9, will collapse and it will replaced by an INDIA bloc-led dispensation.

On the BJP’s performance in the just held Lok Sabha polls, the former CM maintained the national party was trying to hide its failure by spreading news that the Shiv Sena (UBT) will join the ruling NDA.

“We will never go with those who tried to finish off the Shiv Sena,” Thackeray declared, responding to speculation that he will realign with the BJP.

Thackeray said no poll should be held for 11 seats of the Legislative Council, where MLAs will be voting, till the Supreme Court rules on disqualification pleas related to some members of the lower house.

Polls for 11 seats of the Legislative Council are slated for July 12.

Thackeray accused the BJP of abandoning Hindutva and asked whether the national party’s alliance with regional outfits TDP and the JDU was organic.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) president dubbed BJP’s Hindutva as “regressive” and described the one professed by his party as “progressive”.

A senior police officer said the body of a 55-year-old man was found at the children’s park near India Gate on Wednesday and added that a post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.

The Centre for Holistic Development, an NGO working for the homeless, claimed that 192 homeless deaths were recorded in Delhi due to the heat wave from June 11 to 19.

In the national capital, hospitals reported a spike in cases of heatstroke and heat exhaustion and several deaths in the past two days.

The city recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius, over four notches above the normal. The night temperature in Delhi was 35.2 degrees Celsius, the city’s highest in June since 1969, the Met office said on Wednesday.

The Centre-run RML Hospital received 22 patients in the last two days. There have been five deaths and 12 to 13 patients are on ventilator support.

“The victims did not have any comorbidities. When such people come to the hospital, their core body temperature is recorded and, if it is found more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no other cause, they are declared as heatstroke patients,” a senior hospital official said.

“Those who succumb to heatstroke are declared as ‘suspected heatstroke’. There is a committee of the Delhi government that later confirms the deaths,” the official said.

To ensure immediate cooling of the body, the hospital has set up a first-of-its-kind heatstroke unit.

“The unit has cooling technology and the patients are kept in baths filled with ice and water. When their body temperature goes below 102 degrees Fahrenheit, they are monitored,” the official said.

“If they are stable, they are shifted into the ward. Otherwise, they are put on a ventilator. Most of the patients who are admitted are labourers,” he added.

The Safdarjung Hospital received 60 patients with suspected heatstroke, including 42 who were admitted. The hospital has reported six casualties, including a 60-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man.

At LNJP Hospital, four patients have died due to suspected heatstroke in the last two days.

“There were two deaths on Tuesday due to suspected heatstroke and two more on Wednesday. There are 16 heatstroke patients who have been admitted,” said a hospital official.

One of the victims, aged around 39, died during treatment on June 15. He was a motor mechanic who collapsed while working at his shop in Janakpuri. He was brought in with high-grade fever.

Speaking on heatstroke symptoms, a senior hospital official said patients sometimes collapse due to dehydration.

They also suffer from very high fever, which causes the body temperature to reach 106 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit, he added.

The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi is reporting 30 to 35 heatstroke cases at its outpatient department daily.

“These include conditions such as heat cramp and heat exhaustion,” said Dr Atul Kakar, chairperson of the hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine.

“This surge in cases highlights the importance of public awareness about heat safety measures, including staying hydrated, seeking shade during peak sun hours and understanding the signs of heat-related distress. Healthcare providers are on alert, ensuring prompt and effective treatment to manage and mitigate the impact of rising temperatures on public health,” he added.

The heat wave is causing an increase in the prevalence of lupus that affects the skin, joints and kidneys, among other organs. People who have lupus frequently experience flare-ups and aggravated symptoms as the temperature rises.

Six to 10 cases of lupus were detected due to the prolonged heat wave. SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) or lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own system is targeted, leading to multiple-organ affection and damage. It primarily affects women and that too in their child-bearing age between 15 and 45, said Dr Lalit Duggal, a senior consultant of rheumatology and clinical immunology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Meanwhile, police said they are getting calls regarding unnatural deaths of security guards, beggars or underprivileged people.

“The actual reason behind the deaths can only be known after post-mortem. But no doubt we are getting calls regarding deaths from all the districts of Delhi,” the senior police officer said.

“So far, we got to know that around 50 people died in different parts of Delhi. We have launched an investigation into the matter and our teams shifted the bodies to different hospitals for autopsy. The reports are awaited,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wished President Droupadi Murmu a long and healthy life on her 66th birthday and said her “exemplary service and dedication to our nation inspire us all”.

On her birthday, Murmu visited the Lord Jagannath temple in Delhi.”Jai Jagannath! Today I visited the Jagannath temple in Delhi and prayed for the welfare of all countrymen and that our country continues to set new standards of progress,” the president’s office said in a post on X, in Hindi, along with pictures of the visit.

Murmu was born on this day in 1958 at Uparbeda village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj.

She was sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25, 2022.

Wishing her on her birthday, PM Modi posted on X, “Warm birthday wishes to Rashtrapati Ji. Her exemplary service and dedication to our nation inspire us all. Her wisdom and emphasis on serving the poor and marginalised are a strong guiding force.

“Her life journey gives hope to crores of people. India will always be grateful to her for her tireless efforts and visionary leadership. May she be blessed with a long and healthy life,” Modi said in a post on X.

The flood situation in Assam worsened drastically on Wednesday as almost 3 lakh people were reeling under the deluge across 17 districts, an official bulletin said.

According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 2,96,00 people are hit by the floods in Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Cachar, Darrang, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hojai, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur, South Salmara, Tamulpur and Udalguri districts.

Karimganj is the worst hit with almost 2.5 lakh people suffering, followed by Tamulpur with over 11,500 people affected, and Bajali with more than 5,600 people reeling under flood waters, it said.

Till Tuesday, over 1.61 lakh people were suffering in flood waters across eight districts of the state.

The total number of people losing their lives in this year’s flood, landslide and storm stood at 35.

The administration has been operating 81 relief camps in one district, where 12,166 persons have taken shelter, and running 24 relief distribution centres in one district.

The authority has distributed 1,269.56 quintals of rice, 185.14 quintals of dal, 154.18 quintals of salt and 5,428.06 litres of mustard oil among the flood victims during the last 24 hours.

At present, 979 villages are under water and 3,326.31 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across the state, the ASDMA said.

Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Nalbari, South Salmara, Udalguri, Goalpara, Kamrup, Nagaon, Bajali, Baksa, Cachar, Hojai, Lakhimpur and Tamulpur.

At present, Kopili river at Kampur is flowing above the danger mark, ASDMA said.

On account of widespread flooding, over 2,53,413 domestic animals and poultry have been affected across the state.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, the Congress on Thursday said every year he conducts a “grand tamasha” of what he calls ‘Pareeksha pe Charcha’ and yet his government cannot even conduct an examination without leaks and frauds.

The opposition party also asked the prime minister if he would “leak pe speak”.

The Union Education Ministry late on Wednesday night ordered cancellation of UGC-NET following inputs of the exam’s integrity being compromised.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said every year the PM conducts a “grand tamasha of what he calls ‘Pareeksha pe Charcha’.”

“Yet, his government cannot even conduct an examination without leaks and frauds,” he added.

Ramesh said the NEET UG 2024 Examination faces very serious questions that even the Education Minister has been forced to acknowledge.

The integrity of the National Testing Agency (NTA) is under severe doubt, he said.

Now the UGC-NET conducted just the day before yesterday has been cancelled last night, he said.

In fact, the government has been ruinous for India’s education system with the CUET (Common University Entrance Test) making a complete mockery of Class XII exams, Ramesh said.

The professionalism of NCERT, UGC, and CBSE has been destroyed, he claimed.

“The New Education Policy of 2020, rather than preparing India’s education system for the future, only serves as the Nagpur Education Policy 2020,” he alleged.

Soon after the cancellation of UGC-NET, the Congress on Wednesday dubbed the Modi government as “paper leak government” and asked whether the education minister would take responsibility now.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the government over the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET, and asked when will Prime Minister hold “NEET pareeksha pe charcha”.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the government after the Education Ministry ordered the cancellation of UGC-NET and asked for accountability to be fixed.