Ibri: Two girls drowned in a wadi in Sohar province, in northern Oman, on Saturday afternoon when they went out for a swim while left unsupervised during a sightseeing trip.
Both children were not aged more than nine, according to the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (Pacda).
The children were holidaying with their family in Wadi Jizzi, where a number of small pools had sprung up after the area received heavy rainfall last week.
The family pulled out one of the children from the water but couldn’t revive her. Civil defence personnel retrieved the other child’s body later.
Seven Omani children have drowned nationwide so far in 2015.
A three-year-old boy drowned in Wadi Sabt, in Kamil Wal Wafi province, in the eastern region in August under similar circumstances.
The boy’s family, who were on holiday, and local residents tried to revive the boy but he died on the way to hospital.
Seven drowning cases involving children were reported in 2014, according to statistics provided by Royal Oman Police.
Despite warnings and awareness campaigns from the authorities advising parents to constantly monitor their children when holidaying near the sea or wadis, drowning cases among children continue to be reported.
The ROP official confirmed that parental negligence is one of the main reasons behind most child drownings.
