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Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...
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Tragic incidents during Hajj pilgrimage through the years

Every year, millions of Muslims travel from around the world to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage, known as Hajj. Over the years, this religious pilgrimage has been marred by fatal accidents and tragedies. This year, extreme weather conditions led to the deaths of more than 1,300 people. Here is a look at some of the deadly incidents: 1975: A fire at a tent in Mina, caused by the explosion of a gas canister, killed 200 pilgrims. 1987: An unauthorised anti-US and anti-Israel rally was suppressed by Saudi security forces, resulting in the deaths of 400 pilgrims, including 275 Iranians. 1990: A stampede at a tunnel in Mina, following a ventilation system failure, killed 1,426 pilgrims. 1994: Another stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina led to the deaths of 270 pilgrims. 1997: A fire, fuelled by strong winds, in a tent at Mina resulted in the deaths of 343 pilgrims. 2004: A stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina killed around 250 pilgrims and injured more than 240 others. 2006: At least 345 pilgrims were killed in a stampede, marking the highest number of deaths in 16 years. An eight-story building used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Makkah collapsed a day before Hajj commenced that year, killing at least 73 people. 2015: A huge stampede at Mina reportedly caused more than 2,400 pilgrims to lose their lives, making this the deadliest pilgrimage in Hajj history. In another incident the same year, 111 people were killed and nearly 400 others were wounded during a crane accident at Makkah's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site. 2024: The death toll of pilgrims dying from excessive heat during Hajj crossed 1,300, with temperatures hitting 48 degrees Celsius.

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