15 killed, 170 injured in fire at Madina-based hotel

MADINA MUNAWARA, Saudi Arabia: At least 15 people have been killed and 130 injured in a fire erupted at a hotel located in Madina Munawwara Saturday afternoon.

The blaze started on Saturday afternoon, the authorities say, in the eastern part of the city.

The victims' nationalities are unclear - about 700 people from different countries were staying at the hotel. Most of them were from Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.

The guests were staying in Madina after they performed Umra in Makkah. Almost 250 Pakistanis have travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah.

The fire was brought under control on Saturday afternoon, with survivors transferred to other hotels in the city.

Authorities are reported to have initiated an investigation into the cause of the fire.

According to Geo News, initial reports suggested that the fire broke out due to short-circuiting in a room on the 14th floor