Saudi child hangs himself imitating Saddam's execution

In a third incident of its kind, a 12-year-old Saudi boy accidentally hanged himself while imitating the way former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was executed, media reports said Monday.

Sultan Abdulla al-Shammari hanged himself Sunday in an annexe at his home in Hafr al-Baten, close to the Iraqi border, Saudi Arabia's Okaz newspaper reported.

Sultan's brother came back from the mosque to find him hanging from a rope that he had fixed on an iron door. Two of his younger brothers were sitting helpless beside the dead body.

The older brother unhooked Sultan and took him to the hospital but the child was already dead.

A police investigation into the case is underway.

Two similar cases occurred last week when a 10-year-old boy in Texas and another nine-year-old in Pakistan hanged themselves the same way.

Saddam's execution on Dec 30, 2006 was broadcast on several Arab and Western satellite TV channels.