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Is the Mass Casualty Event at the Annual Hajj Pilgrimage the Largest to Date Induced by Wet Bulb Conditions?

Archive, Decision Intelligence, OODA Original / by

Recent reports peg the final number of fatalities at the centuries-old Hajj Pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia at anywhere from 550 to 645 people (and rising). For now, we are framing a mass casualty event over an annual period, which is technically debatable. However, for our OODA Loop purposes, the death toll in Makkah in 2024 is now in a photo finish with Arizona’s confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in metro Phoenix (Maricopa County)  – over the course of 2023  – as the largest mass casualty events induced by wet bulb conditions to date of The Anthropocene.  

Hundreds of Hajj pilgrims reported dead amid extraordinary heat

Temperatures reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit during this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, through the desert of Saudi Arabia.

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About Daniel Pereira

Daniel Pereira is research director at OODA. He is a foresight strategist, creative technologist, and an information communication technology (ICT) and digital media researcher with 20+ years of experience directing public/private partnerships and strategic innovation initiatives.