A five-year-old boy suffocated to death when he was locked inside a school bus in blazing heat in Saudi Arabia.
The horrific incident took place in Qatif Governorate, Eastern Province on 9th October.
Tragic Hassan Hashim Al-Shoala is believed to have suffocated to death after he was locked inside the school bus by mistake.
The driver had locked the vehicle after the other schoolchildren had got off, unaware that little Hassan was still inside.
He had then left the bus parked outside Al-Nakheel Kindergarten in 40-degree-Celsius heat and did not return until hours later.
It was first discovered something was amiss when the school called Hassan’s father, Hashim Al-Shaola, at 11.20am, asking why Hassan had not turned up.
Hashim said he was shocked, as Hassan had woken up for school and his wife had ensured he was ready to catch the bus.
It was when the bus driver found Hassan not moving that Hashim “knew that something was off and that something bad had happened to him”, he told local media.
Hashim continued: “The driver said that when he saw him not moving, he got him some ice to try and wake him up. They kept trying to wake him up to no avail.
“So I asked the driver to take him to the nearest hospital and told him I would meet them there. But the driver insisted that I go to get him.
“I urged him to take Hassan to the hospital because it is critical to act quickly in such situations, and I finally managed to convince him.
“I followed them to the hospital, where the medical staff did their best to reanimate my son. But it turned out that he had passed. He had passed a while ago.
“As soon as I saw him and touched him, I could feel his limbs were stiff. That is when I realised that my son had really passed away.
Hashim went on: “Someone neglected to do their job, and we are certain that those responsible will be held accountable.
“The school should have called us and told us our son had not made it there as soon as classes started, and the bus driver should have made sure all students were off the bus before locking it up and leaving.”
Education spokesperson Saeed Al-Bahes told local media on 10th October: “The Education Department in the region, under the close follow-up of its director, Dr Sami Al-Otaibi, has constituted a working team to visit the school and carry out the necessary procedures related to all aspects of the tragic incident.”
(T4 / ends)
