The relatives of Lama, a Saudi girl who died last week in a 114-meter-deep borehole in Wadi Asmar along the Haqel-Tabuk Road, have criticized the Civil Defense for the long delay in recovering her body.

Lama’s uncle, Ghowaizi Al-Otaibi, said the department had only dug 37 meters over the past 12 days, an Arabic news website reported. He urged the authorities to send more equipment and staff to help recover the body.

Lama fell into the abandoned borehole while picnicking with her relatives. He said the family from Taif was staying in a tent near the well waiting for her body. “They will find it hard to stay in the tent in this chilly weather,” Al-Otaibi said. Heavy rains are expected in the Tabuk region this week.

Hopes to recover the body of Lama were dashed after the Civil Defense announced Monday that the Binladin Company had told them it did not have a solution because its digging machines could not reach more than 35 meters. However, it said efforts were on to recover the body.

The new revelation came after the department said it was making a hole between the borehole and the newly created hole. "We have crossed about 50 cm but have found it very difficult because of the rocky terrain," it said.

Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Geological Survey had provided their technical support to the Civil Defense. There were calls by Saudis and expats to set up a special force at the department to deal with such emergency cases.

They also urged the authorities to fill up abandoned boreholes across the country to prevent a repeat of such a tragedy.

“Twelve days have passed since the girl fell into the hole and the Civil Defense has still not recovered her body. This shows the department lacks the logistics and expertise to deal with such difficult situations,” said one Saudi.