Manama: A wedding celebration in Saudi Arabia has turned into a tragedy after one man was killed and two injured by celebratory fire.
Police in the province of Aseer in the southwest of the kingdom said they had received information that three men were injured as a group of people were celebrating a wedding by firing shots into the air.
“One man has died, and the other two are still being treated in hospital,” Abdullah Al Shaafan, the spokesperson for the police in Aseer, said.
“An investigation team was dispatched to the location of the tragedy where they conducted their probe. The groom and his father as well as a number of men have been detained pending the investigation,” he said, quoted by local news site Sabq.
The spokesperson urged all people to comply with the regulations that banned the use of firearms during celebrations.
“All tribes and people have been warned by the authorities against resorting to firing in the air in jubilation,” he said. “The law is to be applied if there is any violation.”
Online comments expressed shock at the tragedy and emphasised the need for collective action against firing bullets into the air.
“It is highly deplorable that occasions to celebrate and be happy turn into tragedies and mourning because of the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of some people,” Abu Turki, a blogger, wrote.
“These people use guns and rifles as if they were part of an armed conflict. We hope that the interior ministry will be very strict with anyone who use firearms during celebrations. Such terrible habits may take the lives of innocent people.”
Saudi Arabia has been pushing for an end to the deep-rooted tradition of firing wildly into the air to celebrate a happy occasion.
The culturally encouraged and widespread practice has often resulted in accidental deaths and Saudi Arabia said that it wanted an end to the tragedies by banning the habit.
All governorates, districts as well as relevant security and investigation agencies have been asked to apply the rules against anyone who fires during special occasions and wedding ceremonies.
The authorities have assigned policemen to monitor palaces, wedding halls and relaxation areas to ensure full compliance with the law amid warnings that whoever breaks the law will be severely punished.
The decision for the zero-tolerance policy was made following a noticeable increase in the incidence of fatal and serious injuries to innocent people by stray bullets during public celebrations.
The celebratory gunfire is a violation of public order, Saudi officials said in their latest stern warning in October 2012.
Celebratory gunfire is common in the Middle East, but it is also a cultural feature in South Asia and South America.
A study into the threats of falling bullets in the US found that they can reach speeds of 100 metres per second and can penetrate the skin at about 55 metres per second and the skull at about 70 metres per second.
