Dahnil: 24 Hajj Pilgrims Pass Away, a Sharp Decline Compared to the Same Period Last Year

Jakarta — Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Hajj, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, has revealed the provisional number of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims who have passed away this year. According to him, the number of deceased pilgrims has decreased compared to the same period during last year’s Hajj season. “On the same date last year, the number who passed away was 46-48 people. This year, it has dropped drastically; on this same date, it is 24,” he stated during a surprise inspection of Hajj services at the Pondok Gede Hajj Hostel in Jakarta on Tuesday (12/5/2026). Nevertheless, the government does not wish for the death toll to rise again. He mentioned that the Indonesian government has tightened health checks and monitoring of pilgrims’ conditions since their initial departure. “This is not just a statistic; we do not want any additions. And this is indeed the result of our very strict enforcement regarding istithaah. I, along with the Minister, have repeatedly emphasised that it must be even stricter,” he said. According to Dahnil, the Saudi Arabian government is also committed to reducing the number of Hajj pilgrim deaths in the Holy Land. “Saudi Arabia is committed to ensuring that the number of deaths in the Holy Land decreases drastically,” said the former Chairman of Muhammadiyah Youth. Dahnil hopes that this year’s number of deceased pilgrims will be far lower than the previous Hajj season, which saw around 460 deaths. “Last year, there were around 460 pilgrims who passed away; this year, hopefully, it won’t reach hundreds. We hope, of course, that everyone stays healthy,” he explained.