RIYADH, 23 March — An 85-year-old Saudi citizen died on Thursday morning when a Dammam-bound goods train ran over him while he was crossing the railway track.
Khaled Al-Otaiby, who was going to the sheep market in Ahsa, was found dead near the railway line.
This is the second train accident on the Riyadh-Dammam railway in less than two weeks. Earlier, three Saudis — including two railway workers — died when an oil-carrying train rammed into loose wagons in Abqaiq.
The latest accident occurred at about 8.15 a.m. on Thursday, when the train No. 118 heading to Dammam from Riyadh reached a tunnel near the sheep market.
“The train driver sounded the siren several times before reaching the tunnel to warn locals to keep away from the rail track,” a statement issued by the Saudi Railways Organization said.
“It was too late for the driver to avoid the accident when the train’s stair on the right side knocked down the man,” the statement added.
Saudi Red Crescent Society sources said the old man died of deep wounds to his head.
Khaled Al-Yahya, chairman of the SRO, expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Saudi in the accident. Al-Yahya called upon the public to be careful while crossing railroads to avoid similar accidents.
