P A Hameed Padubidri, Saudi Arabia
Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
 
Riyadh, Jan 25: A tragic mishap took place north of Riyadh at the construction site of Princess Noura bin Abdul Rahman Women’s College, in which four people were killed and several others injured.

Some of the injured are said to be in critical condition in the ICU of the city’s National Guard hospital.

The incident occured on Monday January 24 when the scaffold, put up around the under-construction building, collapsed while the workers and other personnel were working on the site. It has been reported that some of the people had managed to escape when the structure started giving way. Unfortunately, the labourers and other skilled personnel who were working under the structure succumbed.
 
An eyewitness who didn’t wish to give his name, told Daijiworld that most of the victims had sustained head injuries as they did not wear safety helmets and other gadgets; they may not have adhered to the safety procedures and equipment while they were on the workplace. Another person said, "The mishap was not because of God’s act, but because of human error, caused due to the lapse and negligence of the persons involved in the construction and engineering works; they should be held responsible for the incident." 
 
The Saudi civil defense department, police, Red Crescent and other officials rushed to the spot soon after the incident took place. Civilians and others also took part in the rescue operations in carrying the dead bodies and the injured to the hospitals. Helicopters also touched down the place to transport the wounded people by air.   
 
The construction activities of the University have been on the rapid move day and night. The University is being designed to be one of the largest women universities in the world and it is the first women-only university of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with an estimate to cover an area of 8 million square meter, situated on the King Khalid International Airport road.