The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed reports that a Filipino pilgrim died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat.
The Filipino woman was among the 900 people who perished during the pilgrimage.
“So far, only one female Riyadh-based Filipino pilgrim died of natural causes in Makkah,” said DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega in a statement.
“Though medical attention was provided at a Makkah hospital, she did not survive,” Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia Chargé d’Affaires Rommel Romato told the Philippine News Agency.
The DFA official said the woman had been buried on Wednesday in accordance with the Islamic tradition.
An AFP report said that hundreds of pilgrims died due to heatstroke brought about by the intense heat.
Temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
Hajj is among the holiest and biggest gatherings of Muslims around the world. It is also one of the pillars of Islam.
Around 5,060 Filipinos attended this year according to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
