JEDDAH – Charges of unintentional murder were framed against five girl students in connection with a massive fire that killed three teachers and injured 48 students and school staff members at a private school in Jeddah on Nov. 19, 2011. The Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP), which probed the incident, has referred the case file to the Jeddah court, which will begin trial when it reopens after the Eid Al-Adha holidays, according to informed sources. The investigating officials have recorded testimonies of the girl students who confessed to playing mischief with lighting matchstick so as to operate the fire alarm bell at the school that resulted in the fire at the school's underground floor. It was found in laboratory tests that the fire broke out from a matchstick. According to the testimonies that were recorded in front of the court judge, one of the students lighted matchstick and put it in a plastic glass close to the alarm bell, and there was no criminal intent but only to create panic in the school. The fire occurred at the Baraim Al-Watan intermediate school in Safa district.
