JEDDAH, 9 June — Twenty prisoners at a detention center at the Aseer Passport Department came close to suffocating here on Friday, Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
While 14 of the prisoners were discharged after receiving first aid, the other six remain hospitalized.
The accident was attributed to overcrowding at the facility, where there are about 600 people in very cramped conditions, according to one of the victims. Col. Saad Ahmad Ziyad, acting director of the department, said it was a case of people fainting.
“The situation was handled in compliance with the traditions of this country and the victims were immediately given first aid and taken for urgent medical treatment,” he explained.
The inmates had been arrested and jailed for violating residence regulations during a campaign against overstayers.
