JEDDAH: The administrative court in Madinah has issued its verdict in the case of two young brothers who died after becoming stuck in an artesian well in the holy city two years ago.
In its ruling, the court ordered the Madinah municipality to pay two thirds of the compensation that the boys’ father, Faiz Al-Mutairi, has been demanding for only one of the two boys. The court also cleared the Civil Defense and other government organizations that the father claimed were responsible for his sons’ deaths.
Arab News received a written statement from Mansour Al-Juhani, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Madinah, confirming that the administrative court had rejected the case filed against it. The ruling was reached, said Al-Juhani, following several hearings over the last two years.
Saud Al-Hujaili, the lawyer representing the father, said the verdict is a primary one and his client will appeal. “We have evidence proving that the Civil Defense was neglectful. We also have the right to object to the commission that is looking into sentences at the administrative court in Riyadh and we will do that,” he added.
Al-Hujaili said that the municipality has been asked to pay two thirds of the compensation asked for the death of the first child, six-year-old Fahad, who became stuck in the well first, and that no compensation is to be paid for the second child, 12-year-old Mushari. “This is an interconnected case that cannot be divided into small parts,” he said, adding that the father is to also appeal this.
The lawyer argued that the well is located in what used to be farming land and that the area should not have been made accessible to people without first being made safe.
Al-Mutairi is accusing both the Madinah municipality and the Civil Defense of not doing enough to save his sons.
The municipality, however, denied it was responsible, saying the well was the responsibility of the Civil Defense, which also claimed it was not responsible.
Al-Mutairi is claiming SR10 million in compensation — SR5 million from each of the governmental bodies. The well in which the boys fell was 12 meters deep and 15 inches wide.
Both boys died a number of hours after falling into the well one evening. The rescue service worked in vain until 3 a.m. to save the boys. “During all that time we were interacting with the kids but suddenly silence prevailed and we knew that we had lost them,” said Al-Mutairi, speaking after the incident.
