Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Some 142 people went missing, of which 28 died due to hunger and thirst, across Saudi Arabia’s deserts last year, according to a Gulf News (GN) report.
Citing sources in the Ingad search and rescue team, the exclusive GN report also stated that at least 100 of the missing were eventually rescued while 14 have remained unaccounted for as of press time.
Moreover, GN, citing the same source, also said that a total of 13,254 vehicles were reported stuck in the desert.
The rescue team was composed of, among others, 767 mountain climbers supported by 177 camera planes, 81 gliders, 1,150 winches, 2,732 long ropes, 270 satellite phones, and 3,772 four-wheel drive vehicles, while the number of trackers reached 1,118 and 182 coaches, GN stated in its report.
Saudi Arabia has three major deserts, comprising more than half the country’s overall size.
The GN report brought to fore the need for desert trekkers to seriously take precautionary measures.
