School fire in Jeddah kills 2 teachers, injures 46

A massive fire ravaged a private school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing two teachers and wounding 46 others , majority of them students. The fire broke out at the school’s underground floor yesterday afternoon, possibly caused by an electric short circuit. The girls school had kindergarten, elementary and intermediate sections. The toll, released by the Saudi authorities, said two teachers had died, 46 injured and 23 have left the various hospitals where they received treatment. Of the remainder of those injured, two are still in the intensive care unit, while the remaining cases are of minor and medium degree, the Saudi daily (Arab News) reported. Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who visited the school on hearing about the accident, said a committee has been set up to investigate the reason for the fire. He traveled from Makkah, where he was chairing a meeting of the Haj Central Committee, to inspect the school’s accident. Speaking to Arab News, Prince Khaled said Civil Defense officers have been asked to present their report as quickly as possible. "We’ll take necessary action soon after the report is out from the investigation committee," the governor said. "We have learned from Maj. Gen. Adel Zamzami, director of Civil Defense, that the school has emergency exits and other safety means. However, we’ll wait for the final report to take necessary measures," he added. Witnesses told Arab News that the plastic toys and play materials that were stored in the underground floor caught fire, sending heavy smoke to upper floors of the four-story building.