By Mohammed Al-Ziyadi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

TAIF — A secondary school student in this summer resort city on Thursday hit a teacher hard on the face when he asked the student his name without any apparent provocation.

The teacher was introducing himself to the class. After telling the students about his name, he asked them to introduce themselves.

When the turn came to the particular student and the teacher asked him what his name was, the student suddenly hit the teacher hard on the face in front of other students and then ran away.

Neither the teacher nor the student was identified. The teacher, who was soaked in blood, was rushed to hospital by Red Crescent paramedics.

The department of education in Taif opened an investigation into the case and said it would punish the student according to the rules and regulations.

The school sources said the student ran away immediately after hitting the teacher and his whereabouts were still not known.

Awwad Al-Khidaidi, spokesman for the department of education, said a committee was constituted to investigate the case and to apply the regulations of conduct on the renegade student.

He said the incident was reported to the police and a search was under way for the student.