JEDDAH – The owner of a south Jeddah restaurant that burst into flames late last month killing seven people and seriously injuring several others has been released from custody pending investigations, press reports said Tuesday. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the actual cause of the June 24 fire at the restaurant in Al-Wazereya district and whether the owner should be held responsible for the human and material losses, Al-Madina newspaper reported quoting Civil Defense sources. Preliminary investigations showed that a gas cylinder explosion was the cause of heavy casualties from the fire. The families of the victims said they would file lawsuits for damages and would demand maximum punishment for those found responsible for the accident. They are awaiting results of the investigations before going to court. They blamed the negligence of the restaurant owner and lack of safety measures for the accident. They also demanded increased monitoring of safety procedures at restaurants and other such facilities by the concerned authorities. Mahdi Al-Yamani, whose son died in the accident, said he would seek maximum penalty for anyone found responsible for causing the accident. — SG
