DAMMAM, 7 November — The warehouse of a stationery-trading house, Al-Maktaba, was gutted in a major fire in Dammam Industrial Area Phase I yesterday morning. There were no casualties or serious injuries, according to the Civil Defense officials, who had rushed to the scene minutes after the fire broke out.
Cause of the fire is not yet known. Speculations are that a short circuit or a human error may have caused the fire, which broke out around 7.15 in the morning.
Although the value of goods destroyed in the fire is not yet ascertained, company sources estimate losses at hundreds of thousands of riyals.
Firefighters reached the scene of accident within minutes of receiving the report. They later asked for re-enforcement from a nearby fire station.
The Civil Defense personnel fought hard to contain the fire and to prevent it from spreading to adjacent structures lest it would have been a major catastrophe.
Personnel from Saudi Electricity Company also rushed to the scene to assist in the Civil Defense efforts by disconnecting power supply
It took them more than three hours to extinguish the fire.
Some of the Civil Defense personnel involved in the operation incurred smoke-related injuries and were treated on the spot.
Industrial and commercial units at the Dammam Industrial Area strictly abide by the fire prevention regulations and the present blaze is the first since a major fire broke out in a plastic factory in the area more than 10 years ago.
