Fire kill 25in Saudi hospital

Fire kills 25 in Saudi hospital’s maternity ward and intensive care unit

123 people injured after blaze breaks out at Jazan hospital in south of the

Saudi civil defence agency workers at the hospital after the fire.

At least 25 people died and 123 were injured in a fire at a hospital in southern Saudi Arabia.

The blaze broke out at the intensive care unit and the maternity department of the Jazan general hospital in southern Saudi Arabia, the civil defence agency said on Twitter.

The agency said later that the fire had been extinguished and an investigation was under way into the cause.

Twenty-one civil defence teams had assisted in putting out the blaze, it added.

#BREAKING Multiple deaths and injuries reported in hospital fire in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

The teams were able to evacuate the children and patients from the intensive care unit, the health ministry said on Twitter, but most casualties were on the hospital’s upper floors.

The health minister, Khalid al-Falih, said: “Unfortunately, the thick smoke from the fire spread into the upper floors of the hospital, leaving 25 dead and 123 injured.” A previous toll had put the numbers of people dead and injured at 31 and 107.

Daily newspaper Alriyadh quoted a civil defence spokesman as saying the agency was alerted to the fire at 2am.

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. That fire was ignited by an electric short circuit in the underground car park, according to authorities.

Thursday’s fire sparked a wave of criticism from social media users who complained that Jazan province, especially its hospitals, suffered from inadequate infrastructure.

A Twitter user named Ahmed said the province had been neglected by the state for decades.

“Maybe this catastrophe could put the spotlight on the disastrous situation of hospitals in Jazan ... Even though we have little hope,” wrote another user. Others called for the health minister to be sacked.

Civilians in Jazan have also been victims of frequent missile attacks by Iran-backed rebels in neighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Shia Houthi insurgents and their allies since March.

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