One dead, 19 injured in Marib shopping center blaze

MARIB, Feb. 15 (YPA) – A massive fire erupted on Sunday at the “Bin al-Haj” commercial center in Islah party forces-held Marib city, eastern Yemen, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring about 29 others with varying burns.

Local and human rights sources reported the blaze caused medium to critical burns, severe suffocation from dense smoke inhalation, fainting, and injuries from panic and stampede during evacuation.

The sources affirmed that several citizens transported the wounded to city hospitals.

The fire ravaged large sections of the mall, inflicting heavy material damage, due to an electrical short circuit. Civil fire trucks and ambulances arrived late, allowing the flames to spread unchecked.

As of now, Marib authorities have provided no details on the fire’s technical causes or total damage estimates.

AA