JEDDAH: Three workers have drowned while trying to fix a pipe inside a sewage tank in Jeddah on Tuesday.
Two of them died trying to save their colleague who had fallen into the tank at a rented villa in Al-Safa district.
According to the official spokesman of the Civil Defense in Jeddah, Capt. Abdullah Al-Amri, a coworker tried to save his friend by jumping in.
When he started struggling, the third one dived into the tank to rescue them, but all of them eventually drowned.
A special diving team from the Civil Defense recovered the bodies from inside the sewage tank.
Statistics from the Civil Defense reveal most accidents that happen in the workplace are due to negligence and not following safety procedures. Al-Amri said that all the safety equipment used should be checked before starting work. He also called on workers to ensure they follow company safety procedures.
The Civil Defense also claims that another reason behind these accidents is due to maintenance companies using illegal workers.
According to statistics issued by the passport department, in 1428H over 100,000 illegal workers were arrested.
