Fire breaks out in Hilton Hotel Makkah

Shaheen Nouman, July 12th, 2015

Fire broke out on the second floor of Makkah Hilton Towers on Saturday, injuring three, according to the Saudi Gazette.

Civil Defence rushed to the scene to curtail flames, evacuating 500 people (including pilgrims, workers, and customers of shops from the floor) before any casualties could take place.

Three members of the Civil Defense and Public Security were injured during the evacuation process, and the fire was put out before it could reach the residential towers.

The automatic sprinkling system was able to put out the blaze that began in a suction pipe, but smoke filled a part of the second floor where restaurants and commercial shops are located.

“An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fire that started on the second floor of the hotel building,” said Civil Defense spokesman Col. Saeed Sarhan.

Fire emergencies have been on a rise in Makkah recently, with this being the third isolated event in the last week. Earlier, a forklift in the Masaa caught fire as a result of a short-circuit and injured three; it was followed by a fire break out in an upholstery and sofa sets workshop in Sharayea Al-Mujahideen, killing four and injuring three.

A spokesperson for Hilton told Hotelier: "We can confirm At 03:00 am on July 11 there was a fire in one of the fast food restaurants on the second floor of the commercial center. Due to the smoke created by the fire, the civil defense authorities evacuated the commercial center. The situation was back to normal at 04:15 am and visitors were allowed to revisit the commercial center.