Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Two firefighters of the Civil Defense died while battling the huge blaze that devastated most parts of the Jeddah International Market, one of the oldest markets in the governorate. Members of the Civil Defense forces were able to extinguish the fire that broke out in the market, located close to Madinah Road in Al-Rawdah district, at around 6:00 on Sunday morning.

In a statement on its X account, the Civil Defense Directorate announced that its personnel were successful in their efforts to put out the fire that swept through the famous commercial complex in the city after fighting for nearly 14 hours.

The directorate mourned the martyrdom of Akram Jumaa Al-Johni and Abdullah Manahi Al-Subaie, who died while performing their duties in extinguishing the fire. According to the Civil Defense sources, their death was caused by suffocation inside the burned area due to the lack of any ventilation in light of the intensity of the flames that were seen from far distances in the city. According to reports, there was no one in the market when the fire broke out in the early morning.

More than 20 firefighting and rescue units from Jeddah and Makkah have swung into action to contain the rapidly spreading flames that engulfed most parts of the market, which is more than 40 years old. After bringing the fire under control, the Civil Defense personnel were engaged in carrying out cooling operations at the site and verifying that there are no remnants of fire under the rubble.

The fire caused the collapse of the market’s facades at gates number 1 and 4. According to sources, the fire started from gate 4, and then spread to other parts of the market. Immediately the security authorities and Civil Defense teams rushed to the scene, closed the surrounding streets and imposed a security cordon around the market.

Jeddah International Market is one of the oldest shopping malls in Jeddah and the first closed market in the governorate. The market, which came into being in 1981, is famous for many shops of perfumes, watches, jewelry, clothing, electronics, boutiques, and restaurants. A large number of shops and stalls were gutted in the fire.