Electrical fire kills 23 at Saudi wedding
Celebratory gunshots sparked an electrical fire that killed 23 people and injured 30 at a wedding in Saudi Arabia.
According to CNN, the fire, which happened in the eastern governorate of Bqaiq, started after wedding guests fired gunshots into the air in celebration of the union. The shots then struck an electrical pole that collapsed.
News site Arabian Business reported that the pole fell against the metal door of the building where the celebration was taking place, trapping guests inside.
Most of those killed in the fire in Ain Badr village were women. The festivities had been keeping with Saudi cultural tradition to segregate men and women during weddings, Arabian Business also noted.
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Prince Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, governor of the eastern region, offered his condolences to the victims and ordered an investigation into the fire, reported CNN.
In March, celebratory gunshots also accidentally killed two guests at a wedding in neighboring United Arab Emirates.
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