Saudi Arabia: Four missing youths found dead in Ardah

Cairo: Saudi civil defence teams have found the bodies of four young people days after they went missing during a picnic in a mountainous area in the kingdom, according to media reports.

The dead were part of a group who went on an outing in the governorate of Ardah in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern region of Jizan last Thursday.

On Tuesday, their vehicle was found covered with rocks and sand in an inhospitable site about three kilometres from the location of their picnic, the Saudi online newspaper Sabq reported Wednesday, quoting a relative.

“All members of the group returned home except my two nephews and two colleagues,” said Majed Jaber, an uncle of two victims. “When we tried to call them, their mobiles were switched off. We headed to the site of their picnic and found two of their three cars,” he added.

“We searched in the neighbouring areas and valleys that were hit by heavy rains on the day of their picnic, but we didn’t find them.”

After reporting the incident to official agencies about the four people’s disappearance, their bodies were found days later in a rugged area.