RIYADH, 3 January — A two-story shopping complex in downtown Riyadh collapsed yesterday morning following a massive fire, killing two civil defense officers. No civilian casualties have been reported as the market was free of shoppers when it caught fire.
Riyadh Governor Prince Salman and his deputy Prince Sattam are closely following up investigations into the incident.
The blaze was so ferocious that firefighters needed several hours to bring it under control, officials said. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, they added.
Brig. Misfer ibn Mazeed Al-Joaid, director of civil defense in Riyadh, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his department was informed of the fire at 3:28 a.m. yesterday. The fire broke out at a ready-made garments shop near the Queen's Building along Al-Khazan Street.
He said eight fire-fighting units and five rescue teams had rushed to the spot immediately after receiving the call.
"More than 18 civil defense officers were standing in the lowest floor of the two-story building when it collapsed, but most of them were able to escape before the entire roof caved in," Al-Joaid said.
He identified the dead officers as Asm Al-Subaie and Hamad Al-Sahley who failed to get out of the building in time. A group of civil defense officers yesterday performed funeral prayers for the two officers at a mosque east of Riyadh. Maj. Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijeri, director general of the civil defense department, attended the funeral.
Al-Tuwaijeri conveyed his condolences on the death of the two officers to Prince Salman, Prince Sattam and the bereaved families. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
