Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — The massive fire that gutted the 10-story building of the state Public Prosecution office here on Sunday could have been a massive tragedy if Civil Defense teams and other senior officials had not acted swiftly.

The building situated on Dammam-Jubail Highway has been reduced to rubbles with high level officials probing the possible cause of fire. “Proper safety measures and swift action by the Civil Defense averted a major catastrophe, said chairman of the Public Prosecution office Sheikh Mansour Aneeq.

Eastern Province Emir Prince Saud Bin Naif has ordered an immediate probe into the incident.

The prosecution office is still ascertaining the extent of losses but confirmed that there were no casualties nor any major injuries.

The fire department said that its biggest task was not just to douse the fire but to contain it from spreading to adjacent structures. Witnesses said that a huge fire spread rapidly in the multiple story building. The Civil Defense team put all its resources in action to fight the fire including helicopters as fire was rapidly spreading from the upper floor. Short Circuit due to overloading may be the cause of fire but authorities are further probing the incident.

The Dammam Public Prosecution office will temporarily function from its Al-Khobar office till new arrangements are made. Luckily no documents at the Public Prosecution office were destroyed in the fire as the back-up data was automatically stored in alternative systems.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Prosecutor Saud Al-Moajab is in Dammam to inspect the gutted site and look into the salvage operation.

He praised efforts of Civil Defense department, Red Crescent and other officials involved in containing the fire.