JEDDAH: Two women and three children, including an infant, lost their lives in separate fire incidents on Friday.

A woman and two children died when their tent caught fire at Al-Issawi, 35 km into the desert, on Friday. The operations room of Civil Defense in Qrayat received a report of the fire and a rescue teams were immediately dispatched, local media reported on Saturday,

Liet Moeish Al-Rowelly, the spokesman of Civil Defense in Jouf, was quoted as saying that the by the time the team reached the spot, it was too late. “The 4X4 tent was burned and two children, aged six months and two years, and the woman had died.”

Preliminary investigations showed that the fire was caused by a gas heater inside the tent, he said, warning citizens not to leave children unattended anywhere.

In the other case, an elderly woman and a child died in a fire in their residence at the Al-Hussn village in Madad Governorate late on Friday evening.

Captain Yahya Al Qahtani, the spokesman of Civil Defense in Jazan, was quoted as saying that teams went to the location and found the fire was in one of the five-room residence.

“The fire personnel quickly put out the fire. However, a 60-year-old woman and a seven-year-old child died and six other members of the family were taken to hospital by the Red Crescent,” he said.

Preliminary investigations showed electric short circuit as the cause of the fire, he said, adding that further investigations are under way.