RABIGH — In the midst of the floods that hit Tamaya valley in Rabigh, Al-Oufi brothers became heroes sacrificing their lives to save the lives of others, with one of the brothers, Yousef, losing his life in the process after having helped save 15 lives. Yasser, his brother, survived by clinging to rocks for more than five hours, while 10 others drowned. The tragedy began when Ahmad Al-Oufi, accompanied by four of his young children, headed to “Tamaya". When the skies turned gray with heavy rains, his older sons followed him, fearing for his life. After ensuring the safety of their father and younger brothers, they headed toward others who were trapped, their car stalled in the middle of the flooded valley. Yasser and Yousef could hear people yelling for help, so they began rescuing the children first. The floodwaters were rising, and Yousef and his brother were exhausted. Amid the cries of many who were trapped, Yousef tried rescuing a woman and her children, but was swept away with others. Yasser was also swept, and after about two kilometers, he was able to cling to a rock at the side of the valley, and on to safety, while in a state of shock from the tragic drowning of people. He waited and shouted for help for five hours, while his brother Abdul Elah was begging the Civil Defense to intervene, but to no avail. Abdullah Al-Lehaibi, Yousef's uncle, questioned the role of the Civil Defense personnel. “Why didn't they intervene in such situations, for which they are supposed to be trained and well-prepared?" he asked. Civil Defense denies responsibility Other citizens of the region also harshly criticized the Civil Defense's slow response to the disaster that killed at least 10 people. However, Civil Defense Director General Saad Al-Tuwaijri absolved his department of responsibility, saying the weather conditions did not allow the force's helicopters to run rescue missions. He said that some citizens demand the immediate mobilization of the helicopter fleet, but weather conditions sometimes prevent this, and the helicopters do not take off unless the approval of the control tower is received. He denied the deployment of a large force in Haj operations had an impact on rescue missions in other areas, saying that carefully set plans ensure that all areas were covered. He added that human lives are valuable, whether they are citizens, residents, or pilgrims, and during Haj all areas are on alert and duty hours of officers are stretched to ensure that there are no shortages in any area. — SG
