AMMAN, Jordan 

A total of 75 Jordanian nationals died in Saudi Arabia this year due to heatstroke while performing the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, via non-official channels, the country's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Confirming the death toll that occurred during an intense heatwave, the ministry said in a statement that, in accordance with the wishes of the deceased pilgrims' families, Saudi authorities had issued burial permits in Mecca for 68 of the deceased pilgrims who were not registered in Jordan's official Hajj quota.

The ministry's statement confirmed the death toll from the intense heatwave. It noted that, in line with the families' wishes, Saudi authorities had issued burial permits in Mecca for 68 of the deceased pilgrims, who were not part of Jordan's official Hajj quota.

It added that efforts are underway to secure burial permits for the remaining seven deceased.

Saudi Arabia sets quotas for the number of people allowed to perform Hajj from each country in order to manage the yearly pilgrimage, which routinely numbers in the millions.

The pilgrimage to Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba in the city of Mecca, is one of the five pillars of Islam. A Muslim is required to perform the Hajj at least once if they have the means.

Jordan's Hajj quota in 2024 was 8,000 pilgrims, in addition to 4,500 from within the Green Line, representing Arab cities in Israel, according to the Ministry of Awqaf.

The statement also reported that 96 out of 110 missing Jordanian pilgrims had been found, inlcuding 27 who are receiving treatment in Saudi hospitals, with 15 in critical condition.

It emphasized that the search for the seven missing Jordanian pilgrims continues.

No fatalities within the kingdom's official Hajj delegation were recorded, according to the statement.

On Saturday, Saudi Hajj Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said the total number of pilgrims this year had exceeded 1.83 million from over 200 countries, including over 221,000 from within Saudi Arabia.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio