JEDDAH: Taif Civil defense teams evacuated 85 patients from King Faisal Medical Complex early Sunday after a fire broke out.
Civil Defense did not disclose the cause of the fire. However, sources said that a mental health patient in the patient room where the fire began is suspected of having set the blaze. The patient was the only person present in the room at the time.
The patient was originally transferred from Prince Mansour Military Hospital after suffering a blood clot in the brain, according to sources.
Col. Nasser bin Sultan Al-Sharif, spokesman of the General Directorate of the Civil Defense in Taif, said the incident resulted in the injury of one patient with minor burns to his right leg, while a security guard and nursing technician suffered smoke inhalation. The three individuals were reported in stable condition, he said.
Al-Sharif said an investigation remains ongoing to identify the cause of the blaze. He said that the Civil Defense operation room had received a report about smoke coming out of the medical building. Teams were immediately dispatched to the site where they discovered that a fire had broken out in a 4-foot-by-4-foot inpatient room on the second floor in the Internal Medicine Department. The smoke spread to the entire department.
The patients were evacuated and transferred to other departments not affected by the fire, he said.
Abdulhadi Al-Rubaie, spokesman for the Taif Health Affairs Directorate, said the directorate prepared 20 ambulatory teams. He said it was not necessary to transfer patients outside the hospital.
85 patients evacuated, 3 injured in Taif hospital fire
85 patients evacuated, 3 injured in Taif hospital fire
Saudi Arabia stops ballistic missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base
- Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday strongly condemned Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia shot down seven ballistic missiles, the defense ministry said early Wednesday.
Six of the missiles were aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base, and the other was intercepted while heading to the Eastern Province.
Seven drones were knocked down heading to the Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter.
Thirteen drones were also shot down in Al-Kharj, Hafar Al-Batin, and other parts of the Eastern Province, the ministry said.
The war, launched by the US and Israel on Iran, has escalated, impacting regional stability and sparking a global energy crisis.
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday strongly condemned Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom, Gulf states and other countries in the region, saying they threaten regional security and violate international law.
The cabinet session, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman via videoconference, reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to take all necessary measures to protect its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Brent crude hit a historic $120 a barrel on Monday before settling back down to $90 a barrel on Tuesday.
Amin Nasser, CEO of Aramco, the world’s top oil exporter, told reporters: “There would be catastrophic consequences for the world’s oil markets and the longer the disruption goes on ... the more drastic the consequences for the global economy.”
The White House said that gas prices will plummet once US objectives in the war are reached.
The conflict could stretch on for months despite US President Donald Trump saying that it could be drawing to a close. But Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has said it will end when they decide.
