The 2014 Medina hotel fire was a hotel fire that occurred in a hotel in Medina, Saudi Arabia.[1] The fire killed at least 15 people and another 130 were injured.
Date | February 8, 2014 |
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Location | Medina, Al Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia |
Cause | Electrical short circuit |
Deaths | 15 |
Non-fatal injuries | 130 |
Around seven hundred pilgrims from different countries were staying at the hotel in Medina to perform the Umrah. An electrical short circuit caused a fire to break out in the hotel. According to a local government statement the fire was first reported at 6:30 pm ET, and the blaze was contained by 9:00 pm ET.[2] Fifteen Egyptian pilgrims were killed and one hundred and thirty other pilgrims were injured as a result of the fire. Preliminary indications suggested that those who were killed died of suffocation.[3] The Egyptian consul general in the city of Jiddah, told reporters that most of the injured were Egyptians and that two children were among the dead.[4] It took the rescue teams around two hours to put out the fire completely.[5]