[Firefighters load equipments onto a vehicle after putting out the blaze (AFP file)]
Jeddah: At least 10 Indians were among 11 people killed in a fire that broke out in a Saudi Arabian city Najran on Wednesday as India's Jeddah Consulate officials rushed to the site.
“Firefighters put out the blaze in an old house lacking windows for ventilation. Eleven people died of asphyxiation, and six others were injured,” Najran Civil Defense spokesman Capt. Abdullah Al-Farie said.
“We received information regarding the fire through a security patrol around 4 A.M. and rushed to the spot,” he said.
Among the six injured workers four are from India and five are said to be in critical condition, according to sources.
The casualties all hailed from India and Bangladesh, Saudi Gazette reported.
Among the 9 dead Indians identified so far, 4 are from Uttar Pradesh, 3 from Kerela, and 1 each from Tamil Nadu and Bihar.
The workers were in deep sleep when the incident occurred which was reported by a police patrol to the Civil Defense that rushed to the spot.
Prince Jalawi Bin Abdulaziz, Emir of Najran, has ordered probe into the fire mishap and constituted an official team comprising the Civil Defense, Najran Municipality, Ministry of Labor and Social Development that will work under governorate supervision, according to an official statement.
The Emir met Brig. Ghazi Al-Ghamdi, director of Civil Defense, to enquire about the mishap.
The workers, who belonged to a construction company, were living near a gold market area in Faisaliah district.
The fire broke out due to short circuit in an old air-conditioning unit, according to primary information.
After receiving the information, Indian Consul General Md. Noor Rahman Sheikh dispatched an official team to assist the victims.
Nine million foreigners work in the Kingdom, many of them from South Asia, according to the last official figures released in 2015.
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