“The man started the fire while under the influence of drugs during a row with his wife, who he was trying to take home. The man had a fight with his wife’s sister before setting the house on fire,” said First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq of Jeddah police.

“He spilled gasoline on his wife and lit fire, which reached her sister and a friend who were in the apartment. The child was sleeping in an adjoining room,” he added.

Police were informed about the fire by a neighbor. When officers arrived at the location, the entire apartment was engulfed in flames. “The man has admitted starting the fire and said he threatened the family before pouring the gasoline. The case has been sent to the Commission of Investigation and Prosecution,” said Al-Bouq.

“My sister’s husband came to our house at night trying to take her wife back home with him, but I was against it and so I locked the door of my apartment to keep him out. This happened after I had a fist fight with him,” said the man’s sister-in-law, Maryam Abdullah, who is currently at King Fahd Hospital where she is being treated for third degree burns.

“He later drove to a nearby gas station and came back to the apartment. He knocked on the door and when my sister opened it, he poured the gasoline he bought from the station all over her and lit it. The fire engulfed the whole apartment until it reached the 10-year-old Marwan who was sleeping in the next room. He died,” she added.