JEDDAH, 30 September 2005 — Eight people died yesterday in Jeddah after a huge explosion from a cooking gas cylinder flattened a single-story house. The explosion occurred at 2.30 a.m., according to fire department officials. At least 13 people were injured.
The blast, which took place in the Al-Bawadi district in the north of Jeddah, was so strong that the house collapsed on the people inside and severely damaged neighboring houses.
Four rescue teams and 16 ambulances from the Saudi Red Crescent Society helped in the rescue. Among the dead were children and two Saudi sisters who were university students. The sisters were orphans and their brother is currently in jail, police said. Except for the two sisters, all victims were of African origin.
Two of the bodies have been taken to the King Fahd Hospital morgue, while the others were taken to the morgue of the Psychiatric Hospital.
According to a fire brigade source, the explosion happened because of a gas leak while the victims inside the house were asleep.
The house where the explosion took place is in a neighborhood where many overstayers live. It took a lot of time for fire trucks to get to the scene because of the narrow streets, with parked cars blocking the way.
Residents in the neighborhood were shaken by the sound of the explosion. Abu Majed, a resident, said: “The scene was horrific. The authorities should demolish some of the houses to make the streets wider.”
Omran Salem disagreed and blamed the explosion on substandard gas cylinders sold in stores. “The gas cylinders sold in the market are defective. They should manufacture new ones with extra safety features. The victims of this explosion are only part of a growing list of people killed in similar accidents.”
