US Couple Dies in Saudi Arabia After Fulfilling Hajj Dream

A US couple's “lifelong dream” of performing the Hajj comes to an end in Saudi Arabia.

US Couple Dies During Hajj Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Isatu and Alieu Wurie, from Maryland, were among 1,300 people who lost their lives during the intense heat of this year's Hajj. They had saved their whole lives for the trip, which ended in tragedy.

Almost 1,300 people lost their lives in the intense heat of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, including a couple from Maryland, the United States.

On Saturday, June 22, their daughter verified the deaths of Isatu Tejan Wurie, 65, and Alieu Dausy Wurie, 71, both of Bowie, Maryland.

“All we know is that it was natural causes and someone from the US Embassy advised the natural causes could have been due to heat stroke, which based on the temperature, people were saying it was 110 degrees, mine parents, who died on June 15. There are millions of people and they have to walk long hours,” Saida said.

Saida stated that her parents had always wanted to travel to Mecca and that they had paid $23,000 for a tour package via a travel agency.

“They saved their whole lives for this,” she continued.

Saida claimed that her family got a call on Mount Arafat, where the group had congregated for prayers, telling them that Isatu and Alieu, two of their traveling companions, had vanished and had not returned to their hotel. The family tried to get in touch with the couple, but they didn't succeed.

Saida had communicated with her parents before to their passing and learned that the tour operator did not have the necessary authorization and transportation for the trip.

She felt that her parents, along with a hundred other travelers, had not prepared themselves sufficiently for the trip.

Although the tour operator was not identified, it was registered in the state of Maryland and did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Saida added that she discovered her parents had already been buried after she confirmed their passing with the Saudi consulate general's office of the US consulate.

“We did ask the Saudi government to hold the bodies in order for us to travel to Saudi Arabia to at least give them the proper burial with their children being present and to be able to identify the bodies, Unfortunately, they have already been buried,” she said.

Saida said that in order to help find her parents' last resting place, she and her family intend to meet with American officials when they arrive in Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks confirmed the Wuries' deaths. Isatu contributed to the campaign for Alsobrooks.

“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,” Alsobrooks wrote in her X post.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families during this difficult time. Their loss is profound, and they will be deeply missed,” she continued.

Approximately 1,300 individuals perished during the Mecca pilgrimage, according to Saudi officials. The local temperature at the time was 115 degrees.

According to Saudi Health Minister Fahd al-Jalajel, nearly eighty percent of the deaths involved undocumented tourists who trekked miles in the sweltering heat.

It is mandatory for every adult Muslim to make the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The annual Hajj participant count is close to two million.