Losses caused by a fire in Bin Qassim Market here on Sunday were estimated at around SR2 million. The fire consumed the contents of 150 clothes and furniture outlets. Storeowners began the clean-up process on Monday and tried to salvage whatever was ravaged by the fire. The site became a mound of contorted iron following the collapse of the market roof. Some were prevented from accessing their stores for safety reasons by the Civil Defense who had been stationed at the location to mitigate against further fires. Rasheed Al-Huwayyil, a storeowner who had only recently restocked with new products, put his losses at SR150,000. Ahmad Al-Omar estimated his loss at SR300,000. Owners accused the Civil Defense of not acting on warnings from previous fires and failing to set up a small station to supervise affairs. Yahya Al-Shahrani, the owner of 22 shops gutted by the fire, demanded the return of the Mujahideen Security Guards after he lost SR700,000. The Mujahideen, affiliated to the Minstry of Interior, were stationed at the site until five years ago to prevent unwanted intruders. Investigations continue into the cause of the blaze, but an electrical short-circuit has been ruled out as the fire broke out during a power outage. Mansour Al-Dossari, owner of five stores, suspected arson, pointing to the fact that all the stores that were hit by the fire had no electricity supply and ran on petrol-fuelled generators. The site has seen several fires in recent times. – Okaz/SG __
