DHAKA: A fire at a hotel in Islam`s holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia left 15 pilgrims dead and injured 130 others, according to the state-run news agency SPA.

Officials quoted by SPA did not identify the victims but said about 700 pilgrims had been staying at the hotel in the western city of Medina to perform the Umrah, or minor, pilgrimage, when tragedy struck on Saturday.

Earlier the local Saudi authorities confirmed the report in a statement.

Colonel Khaled al-Juhani, a Medina civil defence department official, told media that more than 110 security personnel battled to control the blaze.

The al-Bawaba Nayouz news website quoted a Red Crescent official as saying the dead were all Egyptians.

Television stations in Egypt also said that Egyptians were among those who perished, and Badr Abdelatty, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said his country was "still trying to confirm the numbers" of nationals who died.

Ahmad Zaki, an employee of the Egyptian embassy in Jeddah, told the Youm al-Sabaa newspaper that there were "tens of Egyptians" among the injured and killed.

Zaki said maintenance work at the hotel led to an electrical fire.

Prince Faisal bin Salman, Medina`s governor, said the government would look into the incident.

Medina is a major religious destination for Muslims. The city is the burial site of the Prophet Muhammad and is Islam`s second holiest city after Mecca.

Source: Aljazeera.com
BDST: 0955 HRS, FEB 09, 2014