The fire in Ain Badr, Eastern Province, that left at least 24 people dead and 30 injured during a wedding on Tuesday highlights the need to enhance awareness to avoid crowding in small places.
The Civil Defense warns that the main cause of deaths during fire accidents is crowding at the exits by people attempting to escape the flames.
The fatal fire near Abqaiq was apparently caused by a short circuit in the courtyard of the house where the wedding was held, said Gen. Mohamed Al-Auyami.
Adel Al-Zamzami, a spokesman of the Civil Defense, told Arab News that “70 percent of deaths caused during fire incidents are from the chaos at the exits. We are working to enhance our role in guiding the people about ways to deal with fire incidents. We provide many publications in schools, universities and commercial centers detailing the correct approach to deal with fire emergencies.”
He said buildings should have several emergency exits for faster evacuation. This may include building external stairs and wide exits and making people aware of emergency exits in buildings.
“The owners of wedding places must have emergency exits to avoid crowding at main gates. We do not allow wedding places to work without safety standards,” Al-Zamzami added.
Most fire deaths due to chaos at exits
