Public Prosecution begins probe into boat fire at Sitra port

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Public Prosecution has begun its probe into the fire that broke out in a boat moored at one of the ports in the country. In a statement issued to the media, Muharraq Governorate Prosecutor said his office was immediately alerted by the Coast Guard Department regarding the fire incident.

A 79-year-old woman died in the incident while seven others were injured. According to reports, all of them were on board the ship when it caught fire. “The Public Prosecution immediately began its investigations into the incident.

Testimonies of the ship’s captain, owner and other staff were recorded,” the statement added. Initial probe has revealed that the cause of the fire was fuel leak from the fuel tank. The Public Prosecution is waiting for reports from the local police, technical experts, forensic experts and Civil Defence personnel. On the day of the incident, the Interior Ministry tweeted that Civil Defence personnel rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control.

“The Civil Defence, in cooperation with the Coast Guard, was able to put out a fire that broke out in a boat at one of the harbours in Sitra,” the tweet said. A video of the fire went viral across social media platforms, emerging one of the most viewed videos in the whole GCC region. Last month, five children, all under the age of 14, who were left home alone without an adult, were rescued by Civil Defence forces after their apartment in East Riffa caught fire.

A team of Civil Defence personnel rushed to the spot after receiving a call in the morning from a child, who informed them that their kitchen was on fire. However, the 14-year-old girl didn’t know their address or locality when the operator asked for their location.

According to sources, the phone, when tracked, was also registered to a different residential address. “The officials then made the kids draw the attention of passers-by, which fortunately worked.” Hearing the kids cry, a passer-by called the emergency number 999 and gave the address and location of the apartment.

Civil Defence forces then rushed to the scene, put out the fire and rescued the kids. Investigation would later reveal the cause of the fire was a short-circuit in one of the kitchen equipment.