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How one couple 'waka for hours' before dem die for Hajj heat

Screenshot 2024 06 25 164710.png Di Wuries send one last text to dia pikin

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 Source: BBC

One US couple wey die during di Hajj pilgrimage for Saudi Arabia bin don dey waka for ova two hours inside serious heat bifor heatstroke finally take dem, na wetin di daughter tell BBC.

Alhaji Alieu Dausy Wurie, 71, and Haja Isatu Wurie, 65, wey come from Bowie, Maryland dey part of di about 1,300 pipo wey die during di annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Temperatures for dis year gathering pass 122F (50C) some times.

Saida Wurie tell BBC say her parents tour group no gree provide many of wetin dem promise, wey include food and water.

Di Sierra Leonean couple bin go missing on Sunday 16 of June, just two weeks afta dem enta Saudi Arabia.

Days later, dem come tell dia pikin say dem don die.

Di daughter wey dey mourn her parents say di Hajj bin dey "very important" for her parents and dem pay $11,500 (£9,000) each to go.

She say, "na sometin wey dem bin wan do for dia whole lives. Dem bin dey beyond excited."

According to Ms Wurie, "Dem bin comot some days to find food for demselves even though di package suppose come wit food evriday."

Wit di kain small supplies dem dey get for di heat, di couple tell Ms Wurie say dem bin dey "take am one day at a time" and dem dey make sure say dem drink water.

BBC don contact di company for comment.

Fir dia last text, afta plenti missed calls, Ms Wurie tok say her parents tok say dem don dey "waka for ova two hours".

Soon afta, consular officials and pesin from di tour group confam say di couple don die.

Ms Wurie use di help of consular officials to find di cemetery wia dem bury her papa and mama but dem no fit find out wia gan-gan dem lay dem.

She say, "dem no get dia personal effects. Plenti questions dey and we need to find some ansas".

Ms Wurie say she dey plan to go Saudi Arabia to find wia dem bury her parents.

She also tell BBC say di tour company tok say dem go provide correct visas and registrations for di trip but dem no do am.

According to di official Saudi news agency SPA, most of di Mecca pilgrims no get official permits even though di process fit cost and dey hard.

Hajj na di yearly pilgrimage by Muslims to di holy city of Mecca. Pipo wey get enough money and enough strength suppose do am at least once for dia life.

Saudi Arabia tok say na about 1.8 million pipo attend dis year pilgrimage.

Di kontri Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel tok say officials just start to dey raise awareness for heat stress.

Saudi Arabia don enta gbege recently on top accuse say dem no make Hajj safer mostly for unregistered pilgrims.

Pipo wey no get proper permit dey find am hard to get space wey get AC and oda resources wey di official travellers dey get.

Source: BBC