On Sunday, a fire broke out at one of the Haramain train stations in the Saudi city of Jeddah, leaving 11 people injured.
The fire also damaged large parts of the Haramain Railway Station. It took firefighting teams from Jeddah as well as aviation personnel from Mecca 12 hours to finally gain control of the flames. After the cooling process, the Saudi Civil Defense launched an investigation on Monday with the intent of finding out the initial cause of the fire — which is still currently unknown. The final results of the investigation will be referred to King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
Mecca Governor Prince Khalid Al-Faisal urged the media not to deduce their own conclusions, saying "Just wait for the results of the investigation; we will keep everyone in the loop. All committees tasked with the investigation are still in the preliminary stages of collecting information and evidence."
The majority of the damage is located on the second floor and the ceiling, with the latter still having bits and pieces of it falling to the ground. However, the first and ground floor were not affected.
The 11 injured were taken care of immediately and rushed to hospitals by 16 medical teams who were sent to the site. Motorists were redirected away from the fire for fear they may inhale the billowing black smoke.
The kingdom's first high-speed electric train
The Haramain Railway Station, the first-ever high-speed electric train in the country, connects five different stations, one of which is located in Jeddah. The $7.3-billion railway spans 450 kilometers and travels at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour.
It was inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Sept. 24, 2018. The other four locations are Mecca, Medina, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City. The train was built to attract a larger number of pilgrims and visitors to the holy cities and is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
