Clothes and doll not Lama’s, says mother

The death of Lama Al-Rouqi in a Tabuk well, which sent shockwaves across the Kingdom, has taken a curious turn with her mother now saying the clothes and doll found do not belong to her daughter.
This has raised several questions including whether Lama did slip into the well and die, or some other girl, or both.
The Civil Defense recently found parts of a body in the well, a doll and some clothing.
Lama’s uncle Khalid Al-Rouqi said her mother was not convinced that the body parts were that of her daughter, unless a DNA test establishes the fact.
“She has refused to accept condolences for the death of her daughter and still hopes she’ll return. She is in a poor mental state,” he said.
The Civil Defense personnel face major difficulties in accessing the body because the 100-meter-deep well is half-a-meter wide. They have had to dig a hole parallel to the well to reach her body.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Province Civil Defense has closed 250 out of 400 unsafe wells identified in the region.
Gen. Abdullah Al-Khashman, director of the EP Civil Defense, said the body signed an agreement with Al-Fawzan Society for Community Services to close the wells.
Al-Khashman said 150 wells were left open because the tools needed to close them were stolen. People who need the water for their livestock have complained and objected to the closure of the wells, he said.
The region’s Irrigation and Drainage Authority announced recently that 39 wells belonging to the Al-Ahsa Agricultural Oasis are enclosed and pose no danger to the public, said Farhan Al-Aqeel, media spokesman of the authority.
Al-Aqeel said that the iron fences are always closed and only specialists are allowed to enter. The wells are used for irrigation at the oasis, he said.
A government committee comprising the Civil Defense, Al-Ahsa Municipality and the Ministries of Water and Agriculture recently spotted four uncovered and abandoned wells in Al-Ahsa, a source said.
Ali Al-Qasemi from the Civil Defense said recently that citizens can only dig artesian wells at a distance of 250 meters from other wells. They should also enclose and reinforce their openings with cement.
Al-Qasemi said that a person digging a well without a license would be fined SR25,000 and have to close the well at his own expense. If violations are repeated they could face jail time also.
The Civil Defense announced on Thursday that it would take tough action against owners of uncovered wells within two weeks. The directorate warned that owners could face criminal charges.
According to the water ministry, there is an estimated 130,000 artesanal wells in the Kingdom.