RIYADH, 7 June 2005 — Four women teachers and their driver burned to death and five others were critically injured in a traffic accident near Afif on Saturday, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday. The accident occurred between a GMC van and a water tanker.
Four of the injured teachers were taken to Afif General Hospital by the Red Crescent and Fire Department.
Riyadh Governor Prince Salman has issued instructions for transferring the victims along with their families to Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh by the Civil Defense Department’s air ambulance.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers for the dead were performed at Prince Sultan Mosque in Afif yesterday. A large number of people attended the prayers.
Prince Khaled ibn Abdullah, deputy minister for girls’ education, expressed his deep sorrow over the deaths and injuries caused by the accident. He sent messages of condolences to the families of the victims.
Prince Khaled also sent the director general for female teachers affairs at the Education Ministry to Afif to visit the injured at hospital and convey his condolences to the families of the dead.
Dr. Mouda Al-Naeem, assistant undersecretary for educational supervision, has been asked to visit the two injured teachers who have been transferred to the Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh.
One of the dead teachers was a bride-to-be — her wedding due in a month’s time. Another teacher was an Egyptian.
Awatif Ghazi Al-Otaibi, one of the dead, had written a letter to a local newspaper two days prior to her death.
In the letter addressing the education authorities, she described the situation of her colleagues and herself: They are employed on annual contracts meaning they have no job security. The distant location of the schools they teach in requires them to leave their houses before the break of day. She also complained about how dangerous and dark the roads they travel daily and that the mere SR2,000 they earn each month mostly goes to transport fees that includes the drivers’ fees, gas and car maintenance.
Many teachers have repeatedly complained about the distance and dangers factors regarding their “long distance” jobs. However the issue remains unresolved.
