JEDDAH, 19 January 2007 — A man and a woman have died after contracting AIDS during a dirty blood transfusion at a local hospital, the daily Al-Madinah reported yesterday. A two-year-old girl also contracted the virus after a transfusion from the same hospital, which the newspaper did not name. The girl’s father has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, which is being investigated. According to the report, the judge who is considering the lawsuit said the investigation is likely to find negligence on the part of the technician who took the blood, allegedly from a Filipino donor who has since left the country. The judge did not say whether the hospital might also be considered negligent. The family of the girl says they fear she will spread the virus to her siblings.

Pilgrims Robbed in Elaborate Ruse

JEDDAH, 19 January 2007 — Police have arrested a con man who extorted SR350,000 from a group of 280 pilgrims by offering them fake travel deals from a nonexistent tawwafa organization (licensed Haj operator), according to Al-Madinah newspaper yesterday. The pilgrims didn’t discover the ruse until they were left waiting for tour buses that never arrived. A police investigation revealed that an employee of a company had power of attorney to create the shell companies as subsidiaries of a legitimate business owned by a relative. The suspect claims he is innocent but authorities say the evidence says otherwise.

14 Lankan Pilgrims Die This Season

RIYADH, 19 January 2007 — Fourteen Sri Lankan pilgrims have died so far during this year’s Haj season, which will come to a close at the end of the month when most of the pilgrims have departed. “Most of these deaths were due to natural causes,” Meera Mohideen, deputy director of Islamic Affairs, told Arab News from Makkah. Ten of these pilgrims died in hospital due to acute pneumonia, while the other four deaths were due to cardiac failure. “This year’s pilgrimage went on smoothly except for the increase in the number of deaths,” Mohideen said, pointing out that the average annual death rate for Sri Lankan pilgrims is about five. The deceased were all above the age of 60 and had developed health problems during their stay in Makkah due to cold weather. (Mohammed Rasooldeen)

Young Girl Survives Crash That Killed 4

JAMOOM, 19 January 2007 — A young girl survived a car accident that killed four members of her immediate family on Al-Jamoom Road, between Jeddah and Makkah, according to a report in Al-Madinah newspaper yesterday. The family of Asian expatriates hit a truck that was carrying large cement blocks. The result of the crash turned the small vehicle into a mangled ball of flesh and metal. From inside emerged one survivor, a young girl whose age was not specified in the report.

Firefighting Hero Saves 3 Women

MAKKAH, 19 January 2007 — A firefighter was injured while saving three women from a burning apartment in Makkah’s Al-Mansour district yesterday morning. The three women suffered smoke inhalation injuries and were transferred to King Abdul Aziz Hospital. The fire was contained before spreading to next-door apartments. Investigations about the cause of the fire are going on.