Nada Al-Maddah Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — A seven-ton diesel truck caught fire when unloading its content via an external pump in the first phase of Jabal Omar project in the central area of Makkah on Sunday. Five Civil Defense units were rushed to the scene to contain the fire at the construction site close to the vicinity of the Grand Mosque complex, which is brimming with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. The fire started in the external pump at the rear of the truck and spread to a wooden scaffolding covering a 16-square meter area. Firefighters succeeded in bringing the blaze under control and preventing it from spreading to other sites and wooden structures within the project. The head of investigations and media spokesman of the Makkah Civil Defense, Col. Ali Al-Muntashery, said preliminary investigations showed that an accidental incident caused an electrical short circuit in the pump during unloading. No injuries were reported. Safety units in the construction project effectively contributed in limiting the damage from the fire before the Civil Defense units arrived at the scene, Al- Muntashery said.
