Safety lapses alleged in Saudi hospital fire
Safety lapses alleged in Saudi hospital fire
Safety lapse were revealed in a hospital where a fire killed at least 25 people and injured 123 in southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
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The fire claimed the lives of at least 25 people [Getty]
A pre-dawn fire at a hospital in Saudi Arabia's southwestern port city of Jazan on Thursday killed 25 people and injured at least 123, the Saudi ministry of health said in a statement.
The blaze broke out at the intensive care unit and the maternity ward of the Jazan General Hospital in southern Saudi Arabia.
The initial investigation revealed that the hospital was given a warning by the Saudi civil defence agency over safety and emergency violation three years ago, which were ignored according to °®Âþµº's correspondent in Saudi Arabia.
The report cited 22 violations including the failure of the overhead sprinklers and the alarm system, in addition to obstacles in front of emergency exits.
"What happened in this hospital was a crime of murder," said Issa Amaish whose sister was killed in the fire in an interview with Saudi owned al-Arabiya. "This hospital was not equipped at all to deal with a fire."
Meanwhile, the Saudi ministry of health announced that all the deaths were due to smoke inhalation.
The ministry added that the injured also suffered from smoke inhalation, in addition to sustaining injuries as they attempted to escape.
On Thursday evening the ministry said that 57 people were discharged from local hospitals after being treated for their injuries, while the majority of victims are in stable condition.
"Only eight cases remain in critical care," said the ministry of health.
In August, 10 people were killed and 259 wounded in a fire at a residential complex rented by oil giant Saudi Aramco in the kingdom's Eastern Province.
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