Father son die in sewage tank accident

(MENAFN- Arab News) A five-year-old child and his father were killed early Thursday after the child fell inside a sewage tank and his father tried to rescue him.

According to Col. Saeed Sarhan Civil Defense spokesman in Makkah the child was with his parents in front of a commercial center when he stumbled over the edge of an open sewage tank cover and fell inside.

His father who is in his thirties went in behind his son trying to save him while the mother screamed for help from people nearby.

A security patrol that was coincidentally passing by the area immediately stopped to assist in rescue efforts.

Corp. Yasser Ali Al-Ghamdi tried to rescue the father and his son risking his own life and after a great deal of effort was able to pull out the man who was holding his son.

The man however lost control due to toxic gases and septic substances and fell back into the tank.

Civil defense operations in Jeddah immediately dispatched rescue teams from the northern and central regions of Jeddah in addition to a water rescue team to try to assist.

The child was taken out of the muddy water and transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment by the Red Crescent with his father.

Both the child and his father died in the incident while Al-Ghamdi and another citizen were injured.

Both were transported to hospital for treatment and are said to be in good health.

A working group from the investigation and safety divisions at the Civil Defense in Jeddah has launched an investigation to take action against the owner of the center.

The investigation will be referred to the Jeddah police.