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View all search resultsIndonesia records significant drop in haj-related fatalities
According to Dahnil, the decline in fatalities reflects improvements in services provided to pilgrims, particularly in health care and the management of pilgrim movements during the most demanding stages of the haj.
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Muslims perform the evening prayer around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, on May 24, 2026, at the Grand Mosque complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the annual haj. (AFP/Zain Jaafar)
T
he number of Indonesian pilgrims who died during the haj decreased sharply this year, with Saudi Arabia applauding Indonesia's better-organized pilgrimage services under its newly formed Haj and Umrah Ministry.
Deputy Haj and Umrah Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said the death toll among Indonesian pilgrims stood at 134 by the conclusion of the main haj rituals on May 30, nearly half the figure recorded during the same period last year.
"As of the same date last year, the number of pilgrims who died had reached 267, while this year the figure is only around 130," Dahnil said over the weekend, as quoted by Kompas.com.
According to Dahnil, the decline in fatalities reflects improvements in services provided to pilgrims, particularly in health care and the management of pilgrim movements during the most demanding stages of the haj.
He said better coordination and on-the-ground support helped ensure safer and more efficient mobility at key pilgrimage sites, including Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina. All Indonesian pilgrims departed for Arafah on schedule, while the subsequent transfers to Muzdalifah and Mina proceeded smoothly, Dahnil said.
Despite the encouraging trend, the ministry vowed to further strengthen health monitoring and enhance protections, especially for elderly and high-risk pilgrims, who remain the most vulnerable during the pilgrimage.
"We will continue to evaluate and improve our services, particularly in the management of pilgrims' health, so that the mortality rate can be reduced even further in the future," Dahnil said.
