Remains of Shahata historical building which was gutted in fire, Tuesday. — Okaz photoJEDDAH – Foul play is suspected behind the fire in the Shahata historical building in Jeddah on Tuesday. The five-story building which collapsed as a result of the fire was 100 years old and was a very important building in the Historical Area, sections of the Arabic press reported on Wednesday. The Director of the Historical Area Municipality, Sami Nawar, said: “The building had been damaged when parts of it collapsed due to heavy rainfall two years ago. It was deserted and electricity had been cut off for two years. This building and nearby buildings are owned by the same person and have caught fire several times in the past despite the fact that they are deserted.” Two Civil Defense rescue teams, a Snorkel unit as well as seven water tankers immediately raced to the scene. No injuries resulted from the fire, and an investigation into its causes has now begun. Lt. Col. Saeed Sarhan, spokesman of Civil Defense, said: “Firemen struggled to put out the fire using several firefighting methods but the building collapsed minutes after the fire began.” Nawar stressed the importance of preserving and restoring historical buildings. He also said that electric power to all deserted buildings in the Historical Area will be cut to prevent anyone from using these building for illegal purposes and to prevent accidents caused by short circuits. Over 202 historical buildings in the Historical Area have been damaged partially or completely either through collapse or fire. Meanwhile, Historical Area residents have expressed their concern over the accident and the effects of winds and heavy rain on the area which has 55 historical buildings that experts say could collapse any time. Nawar said that the mayoralty will restore all buildings in the Historical Area according to an established timeframe.
