Fire engulfs Mecca hotel, 1,000 pilgrims forced to evacuate

Published September 17th, 2015 - 01:11 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Some one thousand people have been evacuated following a fire at the eighth floor of a hotel housing pilgrims from Asia in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Civil Defense agency said that at least two people were hurt in the blaze that engulfed the hotel early Thursday.

The agency would not disclose either the nationality of the pilgrims, or the cause of the incident.

The fire occurred at a time when thousands of Muslim pilgrims are pouring into the holy city to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Just days after killer crane crash

On September 11, a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque of Mecca. Over 100 people were killed in the tragedy that happened during strong winds and a storm. Hundreds of people were also injured.

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