Jazan hospital fire started at children's ward

Manama: Most of the fire victims at the Jazan General Hospital in southern Saudi Arabia died from asphyxiation, reports said.

At least 25 people were killed and 107 were injured in the fire that broke out on Thursday at around 2 am local time at the women and children’s ward and spread to the other sections., Saudi news site Sabq reported.

Mohammad Bin Nasser, the Governor of Jazan, ordered the formation of an ad-hoc committee to look into the deadly incident.

Several fire brigades were sent in to put out the fire and several people volunteered to assist the patients out of the hospitals. Witnesses said they saw a nurse jump from the fourth floor to escape the fire engulfing the room.

A civil defence spokesperson said they received a call at 2:10 am about a fire at the intensive care unit for women, maternity and children on the first floor of the hospital.
He said that 17 fire and rescue crews were dispatched to put out the fire and treat the victims.

Several cases were referred to public and private hospitals in the area while an investigation was launched, he added.