Kurdish woman dies of heart attack during Umrah in Mecca

NEWSROOM — A 65‑year‑old Kurdish woman from Sulaymaniyah died Saturday morning in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after suffering a fatal heart attack during her Umrah pilgrimage, according to Haji Shorsh, head of a Hajj and Umrah company in Mecca.

Speaking to 964media, Shorsh said the woman, a resident of the Rzgari neighborhood in Sulaymaniyah, had experienced two previous heart episodes since last night and received treatment at a hospital. However, she suffered another heart attack this morning, which proved fatal.

Following her funeral prayer, she will be laid to rest in Mecca.

Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time, in contrast to the mandatory Hajj, which has specific dates and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

In related news, last week a Kurdish pilgrim from Akre, Duhok, died in a Mecca hospital after spending two months in critical condition following a traffic accident, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate. On Feb. 3, another Kurdish pilgrim died in Medina after his health deteriorated. In January, a pilgrim from Shekhan district, identified as Hajji Zainal and estimated to be between 60 and 70 years old, passed away in Mecca while performing Umrah after reportedly suffering from health complications.