Maryland couple 'walked for hours' before dying in Hajj heat

An American couple who died during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia had been walking for more than two hours in the sweltering heat before they suffered heat stroke, their daughter told the BBC.

Alhaji Ali Dossi Wori, 71, of Bowie, Maryland, and Haji Asatou Wori, 65, were among the estimated 1,300 people killed during the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Temperatures at times exceeded 122F (50C) during this year's gathering.

Saida Wori told the BBC that her parents' tour group had failed to provide many of the items promised, including food and adequate water.

The couple, who were born in Sierra Leone, went missing on Sunday, June 16, two weeks after arriving in Saudi Arabia.

A few days later, the younger Ms. Worry was informed that she had died.

The grieving daughter told the BBC the pilgrimage was “very important” to her parents and they had paid $11,500 (£9,000) each to go.

“It's something he's wanted to do his whole life,” he added. “They were excited.”

The couple traveled to the Middle East with a group of about 100 other pilgrims through an American touring company operating out of Maryland.

According to Ms Vori, “a lot of things were not delivered to them that were promised to them”.

“They went a few days to find food for themselves, even though the package was supposed to come with food every day.”

With minimal equipment in the sweltering heat, the couple told Ms Wurie they were “taking it one day at a time” and making sure they stayed hydrated.

The BBC has contacted the company for comment.

In their last text exchange – after several missed calls – Ms Worry said her parents told her they had been “walking for over two hours”.

Shortly thereafter, consular officials and a member of the same tour group confirmed that the couple had died.

With the help of consular officials, Ms Vori was able to determine in which cemetery her parents were buried, although she has not yet identified the burial site.

He said that he has no personal effects. “These are a lot of questions, and we need to find some answers.”

Ms Vori said she plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to find out where her parents are buried.

He also told the BBC that the tour company said it would provide the proper visas and registration for the trip, but failed to do so.

According to Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA, most pilgrims to Mecca did not have official permits. However, the process of obtaining an official Hajj permit can be expensive or complicated.

Hajj is the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to the holy city of Mecca. Those who are financially and physically able to complete the journey are expected to do so at least once in their lifetime.

Saudi Arabia said that about 1.8 million people had the blessing of Hajj this year.

The country's Health Minister, Fahad Al Jalajeel, said authorities had recently started efforts to raise awareness about heat stress.

Saudi Arabia has recently come under fire for not making Hajj safe, especially for unregistered pilgrims.

Without proper permits, they struggle to access places that provide air conditioning and other facilities for government travelers.