JEDDAH — The Civil Defense Directorate in Jeddah has opened an investigation into the death of a three-year-old child who drowned in a deep ditch filled with underground water. A contractor dug the ditch that is a part of a storm water canal three meters away from the child's house at the Umm Al-Salam neighborhood on the Makkah-Jeddah Expressway. The contractor is accused of not using any safety sign or device to alert the public, especially motorists. The victim's father and his neighbors said their complaints, which they lodged with the Umm Al-Salam municipality against the contractor, fell on deaf ears. They said they fully explained the risks of the ditch and how it endangered the lives of road users and children in particular. They said there are several children in the neighborhood who are also at risk. The victim's father blamed the contractor and the municipality for his son's death, saying they did not take their complaint seriously. He said when his son disappeared he started looking for him everywhere. He combed the neighborhood inch by inch until he remembered the ditch. He said when he lost hope he reported the matter to the Civil Defense, who arrived one hour later. He said Civil Defense divers eventually found the boy dead in the ditch. He appealed to the government to take action against the contractor and municipality's field supervisors and hold them accountable for the death of his son. Abdul Hameed Al-Batati, supervisor at the Jeddah mayoralty, said the mayoralty makes it mandatory for all contractors and companies to ensure work sites are safe. He added: “Also, we oversee the companies' work and we caution them about any shortcomings. “There are some companies that make mistakes and this is just human nature.” When asked about the Um Al-Salam project that is being carried out by large contractors, he refused to comment. Brig. Turki Al-Harithy, Director of the Civil Defense in Jeddah, said the Civil Defense has opened an investigation into the child's death. He said the Civil Defense rescue teams arrived at the scene as fast as they could. — SG
