11-yr-old drowns in rainwater pond
ras al khaimah — For the second time in three weeks, an 11-year-old Emirati girl drowned in a rainwater pond in Ras Al Khaimah’s Shawkah area. On October 8, a nine-year-old girl had died in the same pond that residents refer to as ‘Maghraqa’, which means area of drowning.
Police sources told Khaleej Times that the mishap took place late on Friday. “Paramedics rushed to the site when alerted of the mishap, but residents had already recovered the body.”
The victim, identified as Ghala Juma Al Shamsi, was a resident of Ajman. “The tragedy happened around 5pm when the family was picnicking in the scenic moun- tainous area,” a relative said.
He claimed that there isn’t a single signboard that warns against swimming in the pond. “A fence must be immediately installed around the dangerous area to prevent such tragic mishaps.”
Saeed Musabih Al Qaydi, the local official in charge of Wadi Shawkah area, said 80 people have died in the pond since 1980.
On October 8, a leisure trip turned into a nightmare for an Emirati family when two girls fell into the pond. One of the girls drowned. Her father managed to rescue the other girl, his niece.
Munzir bin Shukr, director-general of the RAK Municipality, said a special team will be dispatched to the site to decide on the right procedures to “ensure public safety and protect people’s life”.
Ahmed Al Hammadi, directorgeneral of the department of public works and services in RAK, said a technical team was dispatched to the site on Friday to study its risks, and identify the reasons behind recent drowning incidents. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com