Blaze kills 12, injures 130 pilgrims in Medina hotel

[Devil Soul]

Blaze kills 12, injures 130 pilgrims in Medina hotel
AGENCIES
Published 2014-02-08 23:22:18
RIYADH: A fire killed 12 people and injured 130 others in a pilgrim hotel in the Saudi holy city of Medina Saturday, the state-run SPA news agency reported.

Officials did not identify the victims but said around 700 pilgrims were staying at the hotel in Medina, in western Saudi Arabia, to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.

However according to a separate report on Egypt's state television station, all killed were Egyptians and the blaze was started by an electrical short circuit.

The fire broke out in the afternoon and was brought under control a few hours later, with survivors were transferred to other hotels in the city.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Once a year Muslims perform the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest city. But year round, they can also undertake the Umrah, or lesser pilgrimage, in Saudi Arabia, also home to Islam's second-holiest site, Medina.

 

[Alshawi1234]

RIP, unfortunate accident.
May Allah bless their souls.

 

[al-Hasani]

RIP, unfortunate accident.
May Allah bless their souls.

The death tool has now unfortunately risen to 15 pilgrims.

I hope that this will not happen again.

Madinah hotel blaze kills 15 pilgrims

People are seen on the ledges of the hotel with eye witnesses say some people jumped. (Arab News Photo)

The aftermath of the fire on the ground floor of the Hotel

People watch as fire rages on the ground floor of the hotel

People are rescued by the Civil Defence as they stand ledges and at windows. (Arab News reader picture)​

MADINAH: YUSUF MOHAMMED

Published — Sunday 9 February 2014

Last update 9 February 2014 6:29 pm

Fifteen pilgrims died and 130 others were injured in a fire that broke out at a hotel in Madinah on Saturday, the Madinah Governorate said in a statement.
The fire occurred at the Ishraq Al-Madina Hotel at 2:33 p.m.
Eyewitnesses said the victims were of different nationalities and included Egyptians and Turks.
Civil Defense firefighters were able to put out the blaze by 5 p.m., the governorate said.
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman has been following up on the incident.
An investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire has been launched, sources said. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire occurred as a result of a short circuit during maintenance work.
Thirty of the injured were treated on the spot, while others were sent to King Fahd Hospital and the Ansar Hospital. According to one report, Ansar received four bodies and 91 injured.
Most pilgrims died of suffocation, the statement said. There were about 700 guests in the hotel at the time the fire broke out. Authorities evacuated guests and closed off streets leading to the hotel on Sitteen Street.
Some pilgrims who were trapped inside the hotel climbed to the roof of the building for safety.
A large number of people had gathered in front of the hotel, obstructing rescue efforts.
Eighteen fire-fighting teams were dispatched to put out the blaze, while the Red Crescent deployed 14 first-aid teams and Madinah’s Health Department eight teams.
An Indian pilgrim staying at a nearby building said she saw a huge plume of dark smoke coming out of the hotel as she was returning from the Prophet’s Mosque at around 2:45 p.m.
“We saw some people waving through the windows for help. We also saw several firefighters engaged in rescue operations. A large number of people had gathered in front of the hotel. It was a frightening scene,” she said.
There were conflicting reports about the number of Egyptian casualties.
Ahmed Zaki, an official at the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah, said they had received information about the death of four Egyptians. Another report said that as many as 12 of the 15 victims were Egyptians.
Egyptian Ambassador Afifi Abdel-Wahab was quoted as telling an Egyptian television channel that “15 Egyptians died in the fire.”
Prince Faisal has ordered hotel guests to be relocated.

Madinah hotel blaze kills 15 pilgrims | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

الذين اذا اصابتهم مصيبة قالوا انا لله وانا اليه راجعون

 

[ResurgentIran]

Very tragic. RIP

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Just hook the article up on Google translate.

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/saudi-today/2014/02/09/العربية-نت-تنشر-أسماء-المتوفين-بحريق-المدينة.html

 

[Serpentine]

RIP to the deceased.

 

[BDforever]

RIP

 

[American Pakistani]

So Sad.

Rest In Peace.

 

[Basel]

Very Sad incident.
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

 

[xenon54 out]

RIP to the dead.

 

[waikici]

I don't see many sunnis saying RIP when saudi backed Al Qaeda car bomb shias pilgrims