JEDDAH — The General Court in Jeddah is looking into the case of two Saudi children who died while sleeping as they inhaled fumes of an insecticide seeping in from an adjoining apartment, Al-Hayat daily reported Saturday. It turned out that the highly poisonous insecticide was not sanctioned by the concerned authorities but ended up being sold in the market. Sources told Al-Hayat that the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP) and the Civil Defense reviewed the case as well and sent their comments to the court. The BIP has also received details on Razan Al-Harbi, the two-and-half-year-old girl who died earlier in a similar manner. Razan's brother and father and the housemaid were admitted to hospital as well after being exposed to the poisonous fume. In Razan's case, two individuals are facing charges before the case gets referred to the pertinent court. Razan's family is demanding justice. “Razan was a victim of unlicensed insecticides that were used by some people. She died after difficulty in breathing,” the family said. More than a dozen people have been struck down by exposure to phosphine, a dangerous chemical, in recent years in Jeddah. Phosphine is an extremely toxic gas used in the agricultural industry as a grain fumigant.
