12 suffocate to death, 11 injured in Jubail petchem plant blaze

JUBAIL: Twelve people lost their lives and 11 were injured in a fire at United Petrochemical Co. plant in Jubail on Saturday.
The fire that began at 11:40 a.m. during the plant’s maintenance caused thick black smoke, which suffocated the contractors at work.
Civil Defense personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the dead and injured to Jubail Royal Commission Hospital and other hospitals.
A Royal Commission spokesman, Abdul Rahman Al-Abdulqadir, said: “During the replacement of stimulants by technicians of the maintenance contractor, a fire broke out. It was immediately extinguished. However, the intensity of smoke led to the suffocation of 12 workers; 11 others are fighting for life.”
Royal Commission CEO Muslih Al-Otaibi and United Petrochemical Co. President Adel Al-Shiraidi inspected the scene and ordered maximum care for the injured.
The website for SABIC, a chemical conglomerate headquartered in Riyadh, says the firm holds a 75-percent stake in United Petrochemical Co.
SABIC did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.