JEDDAH, 29 July — Thirteen people including women and children were injured when a massive fire gutted a residential building in Makkah’s Aziziya district on Friday morning, press reports said yesterday. The injured were taken to Al-Noor Hospital and were released after first aid treatment.
According to Okaz Arabic newspaper, the fire was so ferocious that it would have completely destroyed the apartment complex and nearby buildings. However, Civil Defense firemen acted promptly by evacuating residents before putting out the fire.
The fire broke out at 7.30 a.m. at the building’s basement floor which was used as a warehouse for furniture, air-conditioners, refrigerators, mattresses, tents and gas cylinders. There were 15 gas cylinders in the warehouse at the time of the fire. A city hotel owned the warehouse. “The fire quickly spread, sending huge columns of smoke darkening the entire area,” the paper said. It said a special squad from the Civil Defense had to be called for rescuing 13 of the residents who were trapped in the building.
The firemen took more than three hours to control the blaze which was finally put out at 11 a.m. Patrol police played an important role to clear the area for the operation. A number of residents as well as two firemen developed problems due to smoke inhalation.
Col. Saud Al-Kabkaby, Civil Defense director in the city, said all the injured were released from hospital after given first aid treatment. They included seven Egyptians, four Indonesians and two Saudis.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, Al-Kabkaby said, adding that a probe has been launched. .He urged real estate owners to inform the authorities about warehouses inside residential areas as they pose a serious danger to public life. “We have shut down more than 20 illegal warehouses in the city,” he said.
Muhammad Abdul Rahman, a resident in the gutted building, told Okaz that he was inside his flat at the time of fire.
“When I heard a strange noise I opened the door to see what was happening. Surprisingly, heavy smoke started gushing into the flat. I did not know what to do to save my wife and children,” he said, adding that he thanked God when he saw Civil Defense squads coming to their rescue.
“I was really worried about my youngest son, who is less than a year old. By the grace of God, he escaped with minor injuries,” Abdul Rahman said. Hamad Al-Sayyed, a neighbor, urged the authorities to take tough action against those who open warehouses inside residential areas.
