MANAMA, 23 August 2004 — One of Bahrain’s oldest sports clubs was forced to shut down yesterday after three of its four buses were destroyed in arson.
The club’s Administrative Manager Mohammed Al-Daraj told the Tribune newspaper that damages from the fire that broke out at 1 a.m. were estimated to be around 50,000 dinars ($132,661).
“We will be forced to shut down,” he said. “The players will finish the remaining games they have for the season as we contact the league federation to find a solution.”
The club’s executive manager, Ibrahim Mohammed, said only one of the buses was fully insured.
Fourteen fire fighters with three fire engines from the Isa Town fire station found the buses fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene. They managed to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to the storage area and nearby residences.
The buses suffered 100 percent damage and investigators discovered the fuel tanks of two of the buses open, suggesting arson.
The club, which had served the community since the 1960’s, will use another bus that was parked outside the club when the fire broke out to transport the players for the remainder of the games.
