DOHA, June 13 (Reuters) – An electrical fault caused a
deadly fire at a shopping mall in Qatar last month that killed
19 people, most of them children, state news agency QNA cited
investigators on Wednesday as saying.
The blaze, which began in a sporting goods store in Doha’s
Villagio Mall, was “due to faulty electrical wiring in a
fluorescent light,” the statement said, adding the plastic
components of the light fixture caught fire and quickly spread
to the Gympanzee nursery next door.
“The fire was not premeditated,” the statement said.
Civil defence workers arrived at the scene three minutes
after being alerted to the fire, but only discovered half an
hour later that there were children trapped inside the nursery.
The nursery, which was not licensed, did not meet required
safety conditions, it said.
Among those killed were 13 children, two firefighters and
four teachers. The victims were from France, Spain, South
Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and Benin, among
other countries.
The investigating committee found a “lack of adherence to
laws, systems, and measures by all concerned parties to
different degrees. This includes adherence to design, license
and safety conditions, which contributed to the Villagio
catastrophe,” it said.
It added there was a “lack of response” among the mall’s
security staff as well the staff in the store where the fire
started.
The committee found the mall had insufficient plans to
“prevent, contain or at least reduce the effects of such an
incident,” QNA said.
Continued…
