Governor of Jeddah Prince Misha'l Bin Majed said Tuesday that he would be ready for questioning if summoned by the high-level committee King Abdullah has formed to look into the Jeddah rainstorm disaster. Nobody is above the law, ever, he said in a phone interview. The rainstorm disaster that has claimed 106 lives and counting “has ripped out the hearts of government officials in Jeddah,” he said. King Abdullah on Monday ordered an inquiry into the catastrophic damage caused by the rainstorm in Jeddah last week that has sparked a rare burst of public outrage. The King also ordered that SR1 million (US$267,000) in compensation be paid to each victim's family. Many of the victims drowned or were crushed in cars by what witnesses called “a tsunami.” Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, will head the inquiry to establish if anyone bears any responsibility and to assess personal and property losses. “We are aware that we cannot overlook the fact that there are shortcomings and mistakes made by certain departments” that must be “disclosed and dealt with firmly,” the King's decree said. The King's order to investigate the rainstorm disaster is a wise and well thought-out decision, Prince Misha'l said. Questioning and punishing those who have not done their public duty is an Islamic teaching, he said. With his relief aid, grief over the victims, and sympathy for their families, King Abdullah has truly reached out to the public, making them feel less devastated by the disaster, he added. Prince Misha'l, who was appointed as a governor of Jeddah over 10 years ago, said, “No official can shrug off responsibility for what has happened. The situation requires honest scrutiny and the committee the King has formed is experienced and knowledgeable enough to find out what went wrong.” What happened will never happen again as it has now become a concern of the leadership itself, he added. Prince Misha'l, however, declined to jump to conclusions before the investigation has been completed when asked about sacking officials from the Jeddah Mayoralty and other government departments. “Let's not make hasty decisions as a result of an angry reaction to what has happened as Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has said. Our priority now is to get things back to normal, serve the public properly, and provide suitable accommodation for those who have lost their houses,” he said. Jeddah schools will reopen next Saturday as scheduled with no delay, he said. The Ministry of Education, however, announced that 11 girls' schools in Quwaizah were flood-damaged and would be closed for an extra week for maintenance work. Jeddah, commercial hub and gateway to the holy sites, will recover from its fall and be back on track again, beautiful as usual, he said. Committees tasked with assessing public and private damage in eastern Jeddah may be increased to ensure prompt services. Prince Misha'l stressed that Misk Lake, which contains 50 million cubic meters of sewage water some 13 km east of Jeddah, is safeguarded against flooding the city. What the residents of eastern Jeddah received Monday on their cell phones was only an advisory alert to take precautions, not an order for evacuation, he said. “The situation at the lake is normal, thank God, and we have a team that is closely monitoring the lake and the quantity of water it holds,” he said. The city has a future bright which includes a package of development projects, such as the removal of unplanned districts and new road networks, he said. Regarding the dissatisfaction of flood-stricken people with the treatment of relief committees, Prince Misha'l said that there was an organizational problem at the beginning but now things are running smoothly. Manpower and financial resources are available to ensure much better service for the flood-hit people, he said. “There is no shortage of anything,” he added.
