Libya’s Hajj and Umrah Authority confirmed on Thursday the death of a Libyan pilgrim on Mount Arafat during the annual pilgrimage.
In an official statement, the authority identified the deceased as Mousa Mohamed Buqrein, a member of the Benghazi pilgrims coordination group, specifically Group No. 507.
This marks the second reported death of a Libyan pilgrim during this year’s Hajj. On Friday, the Libyan Hajj Mission announced the passing of Mohamed Saleh Al-Forti, a 63-year-old pilgrim from the Hay Al-Andalus coordination group, who died due to heart failure while in the holy sites.
The tragic news comes as over 1.6 million pilgrims completed their standing at Arafat on Thursday, a central rite of the Hajj pilgrimage, before heading to Muzdalifah at sunset. There, they performed the Maghrib and Isha prayers, combining them as per tradition.
Following their overnight stay in Muzdalifah, the pilgrims are scheduled to proceed to Mina at dawn on Eid Al-Adha, where they will take part in the symbolic stoning of the devil (Ramy al-Jamarat) and the ritual sacrifice (Nahr).
The Libyan Hajj Mission has extended its condolences to the families of the deceased and called for caution and support for elderly pilgrims amid intense weather conditions and physical exertion during the pilgrimage.
