AFIF/TABUK: Civil Defense rescue teams yesterday recovered the body of a four-year-old girl who was swept away by flash floods in Afif, 500 kilometers west of Riyadh, on Tuesday night.
The girl’s body was found partially buried in a valley. The Civil Defense teams worked round the clock in a desperate bid to save the girl immediately after she was reported missing even though chances of finding her alive were slim, considering her age and the sheer force of the flood.
Heavy rains lashed Afif and surrounding areas in central Saudi Arabia over the past few days, cutting off villages and causing damage to agriculture and livestock. Civil Defense teams, assisted by police, moved to safety villagers marooned by floodwaters using helicopters.
They also conducted an aerial survey of the area to estimate damage caused by flash floods.
Meanwhile, Civil Defense officials in Tabuk said two children, aged 13 and 15, drowned in Al-Gulaiba village, located between Tabuk and Madinah, after they were washed away in flash floods. Civil Defense divers found the bodies after two hours of intensive search in the area.
Maj. Mamdouh Al-Onaizi, official spokesman for the Civil Defense in Tabuk, warned citizens and residents against coming close to flooded areas for their own safety.
