Hyderabad: Six persons from Telangana have lost their lives while performing the Haj pilgrimage this year so far, according to the Telangana State Haj Committee officials.
The first of the deaths was reported on May 25, and the latest was reported on June 18, according to the officials.
The sweltering heat in Saudi Arabia is believed to have contributed to the six pilgrims from Telangana, with some of them reported to have had some health issues, passing away.
The Committee officials said the deceased pilgrims from Telangana have been identified as Farhat Ali Meer, 61, from Nizamabad district, Ilyas Mohammed, 61, and Mohammad Tajuddin, 69, from Rangareddy district, Surrya Yasmeen, 60, and Mohammed Abdul Waheed Raisa, 50, from Sangareddy district, and Mohammed Abdul Raheem Asif, 55, from Hyderabad.
While Farhat Meer, Ilyas Mohammed, Mohammed Tajuddin and Raheem Asif were reported to have suffered cardiac arrests resulting in their deaths, Abdul Waheed Raisa is reported to have suddenly collapsed and died, while Surrya Yasmeen breathed her last at a hospital. She did not perform the pilgrimage as she fell ill three days after landing in Saudi Arabia and was on a ventilator before passing away, the officials said. The remains of Farhat, Ilyas and Tajuddin have been buried in Saudi Arabia, while information on the other three deceased was awaited, officials said.
The officials said Farhat and Surrya passed away in Madinah Munawwarah, while Ilyas and Tajuddin died while in Makkah Mukarramah. While Waheed Raisa passed away in Mina, Abdul Raheem Asif died in Jamarat.
The officials said the Committee was in constant touch with local officials and team leaders to ensure safe pilgrimage for all those who went to perform the Haj this year. A total of 11,750 pilgrims from the state went on the pilgrimage this year.
The return of the pilgrims is expected to begin on June 23, and on Friday, the Haj Committee chairman Syed Ghulam Afzal Pasha, and executive officer Shaik Liyakat Ali Khan visited the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport to oversee preparations for the returning pilgrims. People who left for the Haj from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are expected to arrive at the airport in the city, with those from other states expected to continue their travels back home after landing here.
