Two little girls, aged 12 and seven, drowned in a swamp in Doqah valley, 60 km north of the Al-Qunfudha Governorate, said Col. Saeed Sarhan, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Makkah.

The operation room at Qunfudha’s Civil Defense headquarters received a call at 10:30 p.m. Sunday saying two girls were missing. Their shoes and a dress were found next to a creek overlooking the valley. The operation room dispatched rescue teams and supporting equipment to the scene.

After five minutes, the operation room received another call saying the girls were found inside a swamp and were pulled out by locals after they had already died.

Rajih Al-Zubaidi, the investigation officer, inspected the scene and continued investigative procedures. The two bodies were taken to a local hospital. Sarhan said they found evidence that the girls had slipped into the swamp, which is two to three meters deep.

According to a forensic medical report, the girls died due to drowning and investigations are still underway.