2014 Medina hotel fire

Around 700 pilgrims were staying at the hotel in Medina to perform the Umrah. An electrical short circuit caused a fire to break out in the hotel. According to a local government statement the fire was first reported at 6:30 pm ET, and the blaze was contained by 9 pm ET.^[2] Fifteen Egyptian pilgrims were killed and 130 other pilgrims were injured as a result of the fire. Preliminary indications suggested that those who were killed died of suffocation.^[3] The Egyptian consul general in the city of Jiddah, told reporters that most of the injured were Egyptians and that two children were among the dead.^[4] It took the rescue teams around two hours to put out the fire completely.^[5]