Khudhariah Industrial estate in Dammam was engulfed by a massive fire in a sponge factory which saw flames leaping as high as 30 meters in the air, according to eyewitnesses. The flames and acrid smoke could be seen rising in a wide area at the estate. According to the eyewitnesses at the scene the firefighters managed to encircle the inferno to prevent it from spreading to other areas. A number of firefighting teams from four governorates were called in to deal with the blaze. Rescue teams had to evacuate over 70 workers including several Saudi nationals. Lt. Col. Mansour Al-Dowsari, spokesman of the Civil Defense in the Eastern Province, said the authorities are conducting an investigation. Al-Dowsari disclosed that the Civil Defense had previously fined the same factory SR26,000 for lacking safety measures. He said inspection tours by Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, Director of the Civil Defense in the Eastern Province, had uncovered a number of violations at many workshops and factories at the industrial estate, including that of the gutted factory. On Sunday, Civil Defense investigators recorded the testimonies of workers from the gutted factory. The Civil Defense managed to control the fire by isolating tanks of dangerous chemicals used in the manufacture of sponge. Ahmed Al-Mu'aissim, the manager of the factory, said he did not know what caused the fire. He said it appeared to have started on the northern side of the factory. The fire gutted two sponge warehouses of a total of 4,000 square meters. Security patrols kept at bay curious people and residents of the neighboring areas by cordoning off the area about 1,000 meters away from the scene. There were no casualties. Sources estimate the financial damage at SR20 million.
