RIYADH — A member of the Council of Senior Scholars said the well in which Lama Al-Rouqi fell in about two weeks ago can be considered her grave if all efforts to retrieve her body fail, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported on Saturday. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Manaie also said that Lama's family can accept condolences on the death of their child in such a scenario. Six-year-old Lama fell into a 114-meter deep well that did not have any fence or warning signs around it on Dec. 20 while she was out picnicking with her family in Al-Asmar valley in Haql governorate. Lama's father told them that she fell into the well while playing with her sister. The incident has received wide attention from the public as efforts continue around the clock to recover her body. Several government bodies are taking part in the operation and equipment from Saudi Aramco has been brought in. Tabuk Civil Defense spokesman Col. Mamdouh Al-Enezi, said the Civil Defense is currently removing sand from around the well to allow Saudi Aramco equipment to access the well. He hoped the body will be recovered soon but did not give a time frame. Col. Al-Enezi said there are 91 different types of equipment at the site and over 200 Civil Defense rescuers are participating in the operation. The Civil Defense is also recording the operation for future reference. “The nature of the well and its depth hampered the rescue operations despite the high-level training received by Civil Defense personnel to deal with various situations,” he said while adding that volunteers from different nationalities have participated in the operation. The Civil Defense has set up committees to track abandoned wells and have called on their owners to secure them.
