Fire at Alkhobar complex kills 11, injures over 200

ALKHOBAR/JEDDAH: A fire at the Saudi Aramco residential complex in Alkhobar early Sunday killed at least eleven people and injured more than 200, civil defense officials said.
Some of the injured were in “critical condition” and confined at nearby hospitals, the Civil Defense Department said. It said the casualties were from “various nationalities.”
Preliminary investigation showed that the fire started in the basement of one of the buildings at the Radium compound in the eastern city. The cause of the fire is still being looked into, said the Saudi Press Agency, quoting other officials.
The Radium compound consists of eight, six-story buildings and comprises 486 housing units. The fire broke out in one particular section of the vast compound.
Mohammed Siddique, an engineer who lives nearby, said he first saw smoke coming from the complex at around 6 a.m. “I saw at least 30 ambulances and three helicopters. The smoke was very heavy,” he said.
Siddique described the complex, which includes multiple buildings, as relatively new and “nicely built” with a mix of Western, Asian and Saudi residents. It is rented by Aramco and guarded by security teams affiliated with the company, he said.
Emergency crews struggled to contain the blaze.
Residents of nearby buildings were evacuated, with helicopters rescuing those fled to rooftops. By early afternoon, Civil Defense officials put the number of injured at 219.
Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company in terms of crude production and exports, released a statement confirming the fire at the residential complex, adding that the incident was being investigated.
The company says it employs more than 61,000 workers worldwide from 77 countries.
Residents affected by the blaze were being moved to alternate accommodation. Aramco promised to use “all means and available resources” to help those affected.
Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser said: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the fatalities and injuries. We offer heartfelt condolences to the families. Our immediate priority is to provide full support to those affected by this tragic incident. We are fully committed to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and their families. We will take measures necessary to make sure this type of incident is not repeated."

(Additional input from Agencies)