RIYADH, 11 March 2008 — As many as 20 car parts shops were gutted when a fire broke out yesterday afternoon in the industrial district east of the capital.
Witnesses told Arab News that the fire started at approximately 3:45 p.m. when shops were closed for Asr prayers.
“After we came out of the mosque, we noticed that a fire had started in one of the shops. It spread quickly to adjacent shops,” said Shaji, an Indian national who worked as a salesman in one of the parts shops that was gutted by the flames.
“I estimate the losses in the store at SR75,000,” he said, adding that he managed to get whatever he could out of the store before firefighters prevented people from getting near the area.
The Civil Defense Department has yet to determine the cause of the fire. Witnesses said it took about two hours for several Civil Defense units to extinguish the fire. The Saudi Electricity Company turned off the power to the area during the operation to avoid electrical hazards.
Many of the gutted shops lacked the simplest fire safety requirements such as smoke detectors or automatic sprinklers.
Firefighters bring under control a fire that broke out in an automobile parts market in Riyadh on Monday afternoon. (AN photo by Eissa Al-Dobaisi)
