Updated, 2 pm:
Update, Monday 10 am: Arson alleged, scroll down.
A WALLED TENT HOUSING A WEDDING PARTY in Jahrah, Kuwait, caught fire Friday night and led to the deaths of more than 40 women and children. The tent was packed with only women and young children, as is the custom of that country, but it was set up without any of the “required” safety guards. There were no emergency exits and no safety equipment.
The cause is still being investigated. Possibilities include faulty electrical wiring, a problem with the equipment used to warm the food buffet or the coals used for burning incense, Fire Chief Jassem al-Mansouri said.
It is believed that source started the non-treated cotton fabric of the tent on fire and it spread rapidly, involving the entire structure within seconds. The lack of any other exits led to a stampede and most of the people inside were trampled and trapped as the fire roared overhead. It was all over in three minutes.
At last count there were 35 women and 6 children dead taken out of the debris and more than 50 others injured, some critically with large burn wounds. It is not yet known if the bride survived the inferno. Many of the bodies are burned beyond recognition and DNA testing is underway to help identifying the victims.
The Associated Press REPORTS:
The devastating fire was likely to result in restrictions on the tradition of holding celebrations in such tents, a custom which is rooted in Kuwait’s nomadic heritage and endures in tribal areas of the country.
General al-Mansouri expected tighter restrictions on the use of such tents.
“There will certainly be a decision to ban the use of tents without written permission,” he said. That would ensure that authorities are aware of events and able to check tents for safety features, he said.
The Interior Ministry also asked that tents not be set up close to houses and that children not be taken to these parties.
ITN has this video report from the scene:
Hat tip: Jon M.
Update, Monday 10 am:
The Kuwait Times is reporting this morning:
A woman confessed yesterday to setting a wedding tent on fire in Jahra late on Saturday that killed 41 women and children and injured dozens others, some with critical burns. Sources said the suspect, who is the first wife of the bridegroom, was arrested after some maids claimed that they witnessed the woman setting the tent on fire with the help of kerosene-soaked rags. The bride escaped uninjured, but her mother and sister were killed, the sources added.
The Popular Action Bloc strongly criticized in a statement the government’s rescue operations and that the incident exposed that the government has no contingency plans to face such incidents. The Bloc also slammed the Cabinet which “should have been in meeting since the fire broke out”. Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash called for declaring a state of mourning over the incident while MP Dhaifallah Buramia said that the fire totally exposed the government’s weak planning in facing calamities.
Acting National Assembly speaker Abdullah Al-Roumi however said it was early to hold anyone responsible for the fire and it was better to wait for the outcome of the investigation. The Islamic Constitutional Movement called for holding accountable those responsible for any failure and urged the government to take the necessary measures to prevent fires at wedding parties from happening again.
Kuwait Times
