JEDDAH: The Civil Defense is still trying to get the exact number of bodies washed away by floodwaters from the Al-Harazat cemetery, Al-Madinah daily reported on Tuesday. The authority is also combing locations close to the cemetery.
“Civil Defense wants the number and details of dead bodies carried away by flash floods to avoid the possibility of mistaking them with people who drowned,” said Col. Muhammad Al-Shaabani, supervisor of the search and rescue operations for Jeddah Civil Defense. “But cemetery guards are saying that it is extremely difficult even to identify the graves from which bodies disappeared.”
Local residents had reportedly spotted floating human bodies with shrouds on, suggesting that they were from the cemetery.
The massive flood had breached the concrete walls of the cemetery at the eastern and southern sides, exposing the graves. Old people residing close to the walls said the cemetery contained not only bodies of local people but foreigners such as the victims of a passenger plane crash 30 years ago.
Al-Shaabani said his team is continuing search and recovery operations, which includes investigating 32 abandoned wells in Al-Harazat and Al-Sawaed districts. A source revealed 16 wells needed to be examined. Some of them would be drained using powerful pumps, he said.
The source did not rule out the possibility of bodies buried below silt on the floors of wells. Some wells are being probed with cameras, which can detect and clearly transmit anything under the water. He added that 50 divers are also working with the rescue teams in the two districts.
The source said Civil Defense opened two drain canals from the sewage lake as part of efforts to bring down its water level and calm fears that it may burst.
