JEDDAH, 24 December 2005 — Taking advantage of the chaotic situation, miscreants started looting warehouses after a large fire broke out there around 11 a.m. yesterday in the downtown Hindawiya district here.
Losses are estimated to be in the millions as the fire caused immense damage to the goods at the warehouses. Officials said that the cause of the fire, which broke out among export cargo containers, was unknown.
A city official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Arab News that the city had ordered all warehouses in the heavily populated Hindawiya area to be vacated, citing new regulations. He added that the warehouses were violating safety regulations.
Firefighters at the scene said the warehouses contained a variety of items, such as food products, electrical items, clothes and flammable cylinders of oil and diesel. “My colleagues and I first noticed a cloud of smoke, then suddenly high flames erupted. We called the police and the fire department,” said Raid Mubarak Al-Katheri, a security guard who was on duty at the nearby Pilgrim City. “It was around 11 when we noticed the fire and made the call. Shortly afterward a few fire trucks arrived.”
The first firefighters arrived on the scene about 15 minutes after the call.
“The fire seemed to be spreading rapidly as heavy north winds started blowing,” a firefighter told Arab News.
Hundreds of people had gathered at the scene by 1 p.m. People were seen removing boxes from the burning warehouses. Eyewitnesses told Arab News that due to the commotion, it was difficult to figure out people’s intentions: Whether they were trying to salvage items stored in the warehouses or trying to steal them.
“The bystanders were not supposed to be that close to the fire, for their own safety and the safety of the firefighters. They were getting in the way,” said Col. Mohamed Al-Thagafi, the head of Civil Defense Operations at the scene.
As firefighters began extinguishing flames, there were few police cars at the scene. Backup forces didn’t arrive until around 3.30 p.m. to help control the crowd. By then, it was apparent that looting was taking place.
“Yes, there was looting and a number of people were arrested by police,” said Al-Thagafi. “We had a fire to put out,” he added. Eyewitnesses said at least six people were arrested. The Hindawiya neighborhood is well known for its high crime rate and a large concentration of expatriates.
Ten Civil Defense units, two of which arrived from Makkah and one from Bahra, choppers and water trucks from a nearby desalination-plant took part in fighting the fire which was still simmering at the time of going to press.
