Pond horror: Six women laid to rest

Funeral prayers for the six women, who drowned in a pond near Ramah, 112 km northeast of Riyadh, on Saturday, were offered at Al-Rajhi Mosque. They were later laid to rest.
The Civil Defense recovered four bodies on Saturday and had to drain out the pond to take out the two bodies. The tragedy that shook the Kingdom took place while the women were picnicking at the site along Ramah-Riyadh road.
Maj. Mohammed Al-Hammadi, spokesman of Riyadh Civil Defense, said the department in coordination with the municipality, brought heavy equipment to pump out water from the pond to speed up the recovery process.
Sources close to the women said they were daughters of three Saudis — two of them are brothers while the third is a close relative — and each of them lost two girls.
The incident occurred after one of the six fell in the pond and called for help. The second jumped in to save the first and the others who were watching also jumped in with the hope of helping others.
The Civil Defense advised the public to keep away from flooded valleys and ponds and keep a close watch on children while picnicking outside.
“This tragedy happened even before we could close the sorrowful story of Lama Al-Rouqi, a six-year-old Saudi girl who fell to her death in a bore well in Tabuk,” said Abu Hussein, a local citizen.
“We are not learning from our mistakes,” he said and urged parents to ensure the safety of their children.