DAMMAM — Places for washing dead bodies were closed here for four days because of the long weekend owing to the National Day. This forced families to drive around frantically looking for facilities available to wash the bodies of their loved ones. One of the relatives said the four places in Dammam devoted to washing dead people were closed because the staff were given leave. The only available washing facility was at Prince Faisal Bin Turki Mosque in the Al-Jalwayia neighborhood, a local daily reported Monday. He said most of the families who needed to wash the bodies of their relatives rushed to the mosque, where they found that only one truck — out of a possible five — for carrying bodies was operating. He said it was important to preserve the sanctity of the dead by cleaning and burying the body quickly. He said workers in these places are government employees so they will not have to work on public holidays unless they are paid overtime. He said only a few volunteers work on public holidays and they are paid through the alms given to them by families of the dead. — SG
