A Jeddah Department of Education official said the department is about to issue a circular to all schools banning school trips to “dangerous places” in the wake of the death Tuesday of a child at an amusement park. Bilal Bin Rabah Primary School grade one pupil Muhammad Bin Hamad Al-Hakami, 7, who was killed at a mall's amusement park, was buried Wednesday. More than 300 people, including the city's Department of Education Director Abdullah Al-Thaqafi, the boy's teachers and school principal and relatives, were present at the burial. The burial prayer was held at An-Nuzlah District's Prince Mansour Mosque and the body was buried in Hawwa' (Eve) Graveyard. The official said the ban will include amusement parks and swimming pools. The boy's father, Hamad Al-Hakami, said he will pursue legal action against the shopping center because of the alleged “negligence” that led to the death of his son. “His body was chopped up,” he said, adding that the Civil Defense had prevented the media from photographing the body. “The Civil Defense Department is also involved in my son's death as it had failed to periodically inspect safety measures at the park.” However, Brig. Abdullah Al-Jiddawi, Chief of the Civil Defense in Jeddah, said his department's preliminary investigations showed the boy was not on the water train ride when he was killed, but entered from the back door of the attraction. Two other pupils saw their friend falling on the track, he said. The investigation team is working at the accident scene to determine what happened, he added. Al-Jiddawi, however, said the Civil Defense, the operator and the facility's owner are responsible for such accidents. He said regulations stress the importance of safety measures that should be taken at such attractions including protective fences to prevent children from entering while the attraction is operated, safety belts, and an automatic turn-off button in an emergency. The fines for breaching these rules range between SR30,000 and SR500,000 according to the severity of the case, he said. Investigations showed “the boy was not monitored by teachers when he entered the attraction from the back door,” Al-Jiddawi said. The investigating team has already summoned some of the facility's operators, its owner, and teachers who accompanied the students to the park. Sources said that over the next few days, the alleged failure of the teachers to monitor the children will be revealed. Technical details about the park's vehicle will also be considered and disclosed in the next few days.
