SAUDI ARABIA: Shops are gutted in a fire in Riyadh's "al-Batha" district, which is also home to polyclinics and electronics shops

A fire broke out in Riyadh's al-Batha market area, injuring a number of people and causing damage to shops and residential buildings, witnesses said. There were no reports of deaths but witnesses said they saw a number of people being evacuated and treated during the rescue operation. The fire broke out at about 1800 local (1500gmt) on Saturday (September 29) as people were heading home to break their Ramadan fast. The cause of the fire, which swept through textile and other shops, was not immediately clear. Witnesses said the fire broke out at the Yemeni market in the district. The market area houses shops from across the world, many of which are run by labourers from Asia and the Middle East. There are hundreds of shops in the area including several polyclinics and electronics shops. Shop owners said many shops were severely damaged but some had managed to evacuate their products before the fire spread. The estimate of the damage is not yet known. ''Seven stores are on fire - seven stores which belong to my landlord. The market has about 200 stores and they are all burnt. That's it," said Mohammed Ali, a shop employee. Civil defence workers arrived at the scene, cording off the area as they fought the fire until early hours of Sunday (September 30) morning. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), 17 fire-fighter unites and 9 rescue teams arrived at the scene. "I became dizzy inside the market. We went in to extinguish the fire. It was dark, there was no light. We fell on the ground. I felt pain in my leg. We went outside to the light and I saw the blood. Yet I say, thank God for everything," said Fahid Abdellateef who was wounded.

ITN Source | September 30, 2007

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