JEDDAH, 8 February 2004 — Twenty-eight people including women and children were injured, three of them seriously, in a fire that swept through a wedding hall in the eastern region of Al-Ahsa on Thursday.
Saudi Red Crescent Society (SRCS) officers took part in the rescue operation as they transported the injured to hospitals in the region.
Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd has ordered an investigation into the incident which took place in Bani Maen village, east of the regional capital Hufouf.
Brig. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, deputy director of the civil defense department in the Eastern Province, said preliminary investigations showed that the fire was caused by a short-circuit. The blaze engulfed the decorated stage prepared for the bride and groom.
A number of young men sustained burns while trying to save children and women trapped above the wedding hall.
A number of guests collapsed after inhaling smoke while others were injured trying to get out of the hall. Many were unaware of where the exits were.
According to Al-Watan daily, the injured were taken to King Fahd Hospital in Hufouf and Al-Ahsa General Hospital.
Eighteen of the injured were allowed to leave hospitals after treatment. However, three of the injured — a woman and two children — were in critical condition.
Fahd Al-Ghamdi, director of technical affairs at the Red Crescent in the Eastern Province, said his organization had coordinated rescue efforts with other institutions as soon as they had heard the news.
Hospitals in the region went on an emergency footing after being alerted. Five SRCS teams and 10 hospitals teams provided first-aid services to the injured.
