JEDDAH: Investigation into the fire at Jazan General Hospital, which resulted in the deaths of 25 people, may extend to former health officials, and if evidence of administrative errors or neglect are proven to have caused the incident, they will be subject to penalties, said legal advisors.

Officials from Nazaha may be called upon for the investigation as well, and if proven to have failed to properly check financial and administrative improprieties at the Health Affairs Directorate in Jazan in general, or in the hospital specifically, they will be held accountable.

The party responsible for the accident will be required to pay compensation to the victims’ families of up to SR7.5 million, as the legal requirement is SR300,000 for unintentional killing.

According to Mohammed Al-Tamyat, a lawyer and legal advisor, Khalid Al-Falih, the current health minister who was appointed to his post several months ago, if long-standing administrative errors at the Jazan Health Directorate are proven, they would be the responsibility of former officials and ministers and they may be called on for investigation.

He said the regulations to try ministers in cases not only includes current ministers, but also former ministers, if proven of involvement or committing of any violations, noting that the catastrophic event in Jazan may likely be an extension of former administrative violations and errors, such as hiring unqualified officials in the directorate, or failure to monitor projects for safety and security standards.

Al-Tamyat said compensation for victims will be determined by the court, after a report on the details of the types of injuries and a valuation of the appropriate compensation by concerned authorities. The responsible party may also be required to cover treatment costs for victims abroad, he said.