Riyadh: Saudi authorities said on Monday that three Canadians, one Pakistani and a Nigerian woman were among 10 people killed in a fire at a residential complex rented by oil giant Saudi Aramco at the weekend.
The civil defence revised down from 11 the death toll for Sunday’s blaze at the complex in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
It said 259 people were injured, but that 179 have since been discharged from hospital.
The five others who died in the blaze were yet to be identified, according to the civil defence.
It said the fire was ignited by an electric short-circuit in the underground parking where 130 cars were parked. It said that 35 vehicles were completely destroyed by the fire.
Saudi Aramco says it employs more than 61,000 workers worldwide from 77 countries.
Mohammad Siddique, an engineer who lives nearby, told The Associated Press he first saw smoke coming from the complex at around 6 a.m. Emergency crews struggled to contain the blaze.
Images posted by witnesses on social media showed thick smoke pouring from the complex as helicopters hovered overhead.
“I saw at least 30 ambulances and three helicopters. The smoke was very heavy,” Siddique said.
Siddique described the complex, which includes multiple buildings, as relatively new and “nicely built” with a mix of Western, Asian and Saudi residents. It is rented by Aramco and guarded by security teams affiliated with the company, he said.
Foreigners represent around a third of the kingdom’s population of 30.8 million.
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