Madinah Fire

(updated 3rd Sept 2004)

MADINAH, 3 September 2004 — A huge fire broke out in a shopping mall in Madinah yesterday morning, gutting the entire complex. One person died and many were injured. Losses caused by the blaze are estimated to total more than SR5 million. Up to 200 firefighters were called to the scene to tackle the blaze and a thick column of smoke, visible 20 kilometers away, rose over the city. The fire started in the Al-Badr market in Madinah at approximately 7:45 a.m. The large, two-story market is one of the biggest in the city and sells mainly clothes. Abdullah Al-Farie, a Yemeni worker who was with customers in his store when the fire broke out, told Arab News: “A welder was working on the ceiling in one of the stores and sparks fell down on the clothes below triggered the fire. It spread so quickly that we were not able to control it, so we evacuated the market.” The Civil Defence confirmed that the fire claimed one life and injured many, including firemen. The director of the Civil Defence Department in the region said the blaze was so enormous that they had to call in more than 15 fire squads to bring it under control.