By Othman Al-Shallash
BURAIDAH — Amateur hunters of migratory birds from the Kingdom and neighboring Gulf states travel to the valleys and reefs northeast of Qassim these days to practice their favorite hobby. But painful memories of accidents on the unsafe, narrow road frighten them.
Khaled Abalkhail, who loves hunting, said accidents on the road leading to the hunting places are caused by stray camels and sheep. “Lack of services and fuel stations along the road is another perplexing issue, which should be addressed by the authorities immediately,” he said.
“There is a possibility of tragic accidents along this road,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. “Most accident victims die before the arrival of first-aid service,” he pointed out.
Abalkhail spelled out the major hunting places in the region as Qubba in Qassim, Samouda and Um Ashr in Hafr Al-Batin, Leena and Aeyooj Leena in Rafha.
These three hunting spots cover a total area of 350 sq. kilometers. Hunters from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE join Saudis during the hunting season, he said, while urging the authorities to develop the road leading to the three cities and equip them with necessary services, including gas stations.
“We have noticed foodstuffs sold in shops along the road often have their sell-by date expired. This is due to a lack of regular inspections by municipality officials,” he said. “But people are forced to purchase their needs from these shops.”
Abalkhail added: “You cannot find a petrol station between Qubba and Samouda, a distance of 70 km. Moreover the road is narrow. There are no hotels and restaurants along the road, although a large number of people including tourists frequent it.”
He said amateur hunters wanted greater traffic patrols and establishment of Red Crescent centers along the road to provide necessary first-aid services to accident victims.
Fahd Sulaiman Al-Muhanna also emphasized the need to widen the road in order to avoid accidents. “The road narrows down from Qubba and this leads to accidents.”
He said many poor people visit the area to collect firewood. “They sometimes end up in desolate sands and valleys and with help out of reach thieves are likely to attack them,” he said.
“I still remember that when an accident occurred on the road, the Red Crescent ambulance did not arrive on time, forcing relatives to take the injured in ordinary cars to hospital,” he pointed out.
Al-Muhanna hoped that the authorities would put extra care on the road frequented by Saudis and foreigners including citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
“I hope security authorities set up checkpoints on the road and put barriers to prevent camels and sheep from crossing the road to cause accidents,” he added.
