American couple died during Hajj pilgrimage

Alhaji Alieu Dausy and Haja Isatu Wurie died during a trip to Saudi Arabia

July 05, 2024

A Maryland couple was among the more than 1,300 people who died during extreme heat at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

At least 1,300 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage as temperatures soared as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Saudi Arabian authorities said that many precautions were taken ahead of the sacred event and that over 465,000 people received free health treatment.

U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks confirmed in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Alhaji Alieu Dausy and Haja Isatu Wurie died during a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Alsobrooks said the couple were both actively involved in their community. The woman was a volunteer for Alsobrooks’ campaign, a spokesperson confirmed.

“Alhaji Alieu Dausy and Haja Isatu Wurie passed away during a pilgrimage to Mecca due to the severe heat,” Alsobrooks said in a statement. “Haja Isatu Wurie was an incredibly active member of our community. She was involved in several community organizations, making transformational impacts that were felt both locally and globally. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families during this difficult time. Their loss is profound, and they will be deeply missed.”

“All we know is that it was natural causes and someone from the U.S. Embassy advised the natural causes could have been due to heat stroke, which based on the temperature, people were saying it was 110 degrees,” their daughter Saida Wurie told CNN.