Overnight Hospital Fire in Saudi Kills 31, Injures Over 100

An overnight fire at a hospital in the southwestern Saudi province of Jizan killed at least 31 people and injured over 100

An employee of Doctors Without Borders stands inside the charred remains of their hospital after it was hit by a U.S. airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on Oct. 16, 2015. Najim Rahim via AP

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—An overnight fire at a hospital in the southwestern Saudi province of Jizan killed at least 31 people and injured over 100, the Saudi government said Thursday.

The cause of the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday around the hospital’s intensive care, maternity and neonatal care wards, remains unknown, Saudi Civil Defense spokesman Maj. Yahya bin Abdullah al-Qahtani said.

There was no immediate breakdown of the victims or further details available.

The kingdom has suffered a number of large-scale accidents this year, including a crane collapse that killed 111 and a stampede that killed at least 2,411 during the hajj pilgrimage in September, according to an Associated Press count.

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