Saudi: Jeddah’s Al-Sawarikh Market Hit by Second Major Fire Within a Week
The Civil Defense forces were successful in extinguishing a massive fire that swept through south Jeddah’s popular Al-Sawarikh Market early on Sunday. No one was hurt in the fire that broke out in the market for the second time in over a week. No injuries were reported in the first fire also that erupted on May 12.
Several firefighting and rescue teams from the Civil Defense rushed to the market immediately after its security operations room (911) received the information. The teams were able to prevent the flames from spreading to neighbouring shops and nearby markets and brought them under control within hours and that is without causing any injuries.
The causes of the fire have not yet been identified. The Civil Defense officials, in coordination with the concerned authorities, started a probe to find out the causes of the fire. The specialized team proceeded to determine the spot where the fire broke out and to verify whether there was any presence of petroleum and flammable materials, in addition to examining the electrical installations.
It is noteworthy that all the stalls of the new Rahmaniyah souk in Al-Sawarikh Market were gutted in the first fire that broke out early on Friday, May 12. The market, popularly known as Harraj, is famous for diverse goods at very low prices compared to shopping malls in the city. There are more than 100 shops selling clothing, electrical and sanitary appliances, household appliances and kitchenware, furnishings, and foodstuff where hundreds of vendors selling goods outdoors, especially along the pavements.
