By Ayman Al-Saidalani
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
MADINAH — A known shopping center in Madinah replaced all electronic garbage disposals with non-electronic garbage cans.
Adel Ahmad said the electronic garbage disposals did not have any sign on them indicating that they operate electronically and that there is an automated disposal inside it. “There aren’t any safety precautions taken to ensure that the electronic garbage disposals are safe to use,” said Ahmad.
Mohammad Al-Safti said he was coming out of a store when he heard the scream of a woman.
“I heard the mother of the boy scream at the top of her lungs. She was trying to pull her son out of the garbage disposal. Her son’s head was stuck inside the garbage disposal and he had an exposed wound at the back of his head. Her son was bleeding on the floor and paramedics had to be called to take him to the hospital,” said Al-Safti.
Khalid Al-Rifaie said he saw the mother of the boy screaming for help as her son was lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
“People began to rush to the boy and carry him around. The paramedics came and took him to the hospital. We later heard that the boy died,” said Al-Rifaie.
Munira Al-Ibrahim said the mother was wailing and screaming “don’t leave mamma” to her son’s unconscious body as it was taken away by the paramedics.
“The mother was hysterical and other women were pouring water on her to calm her down,” said Al-Ibrahim.
Al-Rashid Shopping Center Security Deputy Director Ali Al-Amry said the surveillance cameras showed that the boy was playing around the electronic garbage disposal alone without supervision.
“A few minutes later, the footage shows a woman holding on to her son and screaming for help. The woman seemed like she was going to faint. At that moment, the operations room received a report from the security guard standing on site where the accident occurred that a boy that was bleeding from an open wound at the back of his head,” said Al-Amry.
He added the operations room immediately contacted the Red Crescent.
“One of the people in the shopping center carried the child to the nearest exit. The child was still breathing but blood was gushing out of his head. The paramedics arrived and took the child to a nearby private hospital,” said Al-Amry. He added it took 10 minutes for the paramedics to arrive.
“There were 10 electronic garbage disposals in the shopping center. The electronic garbage disposals were set up eight years and were always completely safe. They do not operate until the garbage disposal is closed,” said Al-Rifaie.
