PRYR RQST Kuwait wedding fire killed 41 people in 3 minutes

Kuwait wedding fire killed 41 people in 3 minutes

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090816/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_kuwait_wedding_fire;_ylt=AuyUMpH4P0prLuJjdyynchOMwfIE;_ylu=X3oDMTNiamdncW92BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwODE2L21sX2t1d2FpdF93ZWRkaW5nX2ZpcmUEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM1BHBvcwM1BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDa3V3YWl0d2VkZGlu




AP – Burnt debris after a fire broke out at a wedding tent on Saturday night Aug. 15, 2009 in Kuwait City, …



By DIANA ELIAS, Associated Press Writer Diana Elias, Associated Press Writer –



KUWAIT CITY – A fire that tore through a wedding tent outside Kuwait's capital killed 41 women and children in just three minutes, leaving behind shoes melted to the ground and bodies so blackened they were unrecognizable, the fire chief said Sunday.
Guests likely crushed one another in a desperate attempt to flee through the only exit, he said.
The devastating fire was likely to result in restrictions on the tradition of holding celebrations in such tents, a custom which is rooted in Kuwait's nomadic heritage and endures in tribal areas of the country.
Saturday night's blaze in al-Jahra, west of Kuwait City, was the deadliest the country's fire department chief has seen in four decades of service, he said.
"It was a horrific scene with bodies and many shoes stuck to the ground at the only exit. They must have trampled over one another," Brig. Gen. Jassem al-Mansouri said.
Authorities were using DNA tests to identify the 35 women and six children killed.
The cause is still being investigated. Possibilities include faulty electrical wiring, a problem with the equipment used to warm the food buffet or the coals used for burning incense, al-Mansouri said.
Al-Mansouri expected tighter restrictions on the use of such tents.
"There will certainly be a decision to ban the use of tents without written permission," he said. That would ensure that authorities are aware of events and able to check tents for safety features, he said.
The Interior Ministry also asked that tents not be set up close to houses and that children not be taken to these parties.
Kuwaitis hold separate wedding parties for men and women. Men gather for dinner, while women and children sing and dance. In the absence of men, women shed their head coverings and wear revealing evening gowns.
At the end of the celebration, the groom comes to the women's party to collect his bride. Women are given a warning and they cover up in their black head-to-toe abayas before he enters. No alcohol is served, as it is forbidden in Islam.
In wealthier urban areas, such parties take place in five-star hotels or special halls.
The fire left behind blackened mounds of chairs and tables burnt down to their metal frames, as well as food trays and charred air conditioners.
Fifty-eight wounded people remained in hospitals, seven of them in serious condition with severe burns. It was not clear if the bride survived the inferno.
Kuwait's emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, has ordered that no expense be spared to treat the survivors and provide comfort to their relatives.
Out of sympathy, he will not be receiving well wishers as he traditionally does for the advent of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts around Aug. 22.

Did nobody think to take a knife off a table and start slitting/cutting exits in the tent?

Double_A said:

Did nobody think to take a knife off a table and start slitting/cutting exits in the tent?

Click to expand...

Everything happened in less than 3 minutes- probably total chaos.

Ex-wife 'confesses' to lighting Kuwait wedding tent fire

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...it-wedding-tent-killed-43-women-children.html

Ex-wife 'confesses' to lighting Kuwait wedding tent fire that killed 43 women and children



By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 12:42 AM on 18th August 2009

• Comments (28)
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A fire that engulfed a wedding party tent killing at least 43 women and children in Kuwait was deliberately started by the groom's ex-wife.
The unnamed 23-year-old woman allegedly told police she used petrol to torch the packed tent to avenge her ex-husband's 'bad treatment' of her before their divorce.
'Spurned woman unleashed fury,' was the headline in the English-language Kuwait Times newspaper, which said the new bride escaped injured but that her mother and sister were killed.

Fatal stampede: A pair of burnt shoes worn by a guest at the wedding after a blaze ripped through the party tent killing 43 women and children


Ravaged: Little is left at the site of the wedding in Kuwait, as dozens of women and children were killing trying to exit the tent

The accused woman's Asian maid allegedly told police she saw her pouring petrol around the large women-only tent in the town of Jahra before the blaze started on Saturday night, the Al-Qabas newspaper reported.
The former wife is now in custody.

It took just three minutes for the fire to engulf the tent, in the deadliest civilian disaster in the modern history of the Gulf state.

Investigators said there was only one exit, causing a stampede that compounded the death toll.
Authorities immediately banned the use of wedding tents.
'Since the first spark of the fire, the attendees rushed to the tent's exit and we found the bodies at the exit, it was a very painful scene,' said interior ministry spokesman Colonel Mohammed al-Saber.
'The tent, which had 13 pillars and could seat more than 200 people, unfortunately had only one exit,' he said.
More than 90 people were injured in the blaze, many of who were still in hospital yesterday.

Scorned: The ex-wife allegedly started the fire to take revenge on her former husband who she said treated her badly before their divorce


Smoldering: Emergency services rush to the scene of the fire, which broke out on Saturday night

'It was a horrific scene with bodies and many shoes stuck to the ground at the only exit, they must have trampled over one another,' said Brig. Gen. Jassem al-Mansouri.
He said Kuwaiti authorities were running DNA tests to identify the 35 women and six children killed in the fire which left many victims unrecognisable.
Authorities were investigating the cause and al-Mansouri said it could have been faulty electrical wiring, a problem with the equipment used to keep the expansive wedding food buffet warm or the coals used for burning incense.
He added that the fire in al-Jahra, a tribal area west of the capital, was the worst he has seen in his almost four decades of service in this small oil-rich state and close U.S. ally.
Wedding parties are held separately for women and men in this conservative country, with children attending the women's event.
The parties usually feature a catered buffet dinner as well as singing and dancing to Kuwaiti and Arabic music.

Tragic end: Burnt catering equipment is a haunting reminder of a happy bride's wedding celebrations attended by about 180 women and children


Death toll: The wedding ended in tragedy as relatives and friends attend a funeral for the scores of women and children killed

Events in tents should be licensed so that authorities approve the type of tent set up and ensure it has the necessary safety features, said the chief, adding that Saturday's event was not licensed.
The upholstery and the stuffing of the chairs used was also highly flammable, said Brig. Gen. al-Mansouri.
It was not clear if the bride survived or how many were in the tent when it caught fire. Brig. Gen. Al-Mansouri said the structure could have housed up to 180 people.
In tribal regions, some hold these parties in tents, a custom rooted in Kuwait's nomadic heritage. In wealthier urban areas, such parties take place in five-star hotels or special halls.

Kuwait's emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, said that out of sympathy for the victims he will not be receiving the customary well wishers for the advent of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts later this week.

That is absolutely one of the most horrible things I've ever read.

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090820/FOREIGN/708199820/1041

Kuwait partygoers recount horrific wedding tent blaze

James Calderwood, Foreign Correspondent

• Last Updated: August 19. 2009 11:19PM UAE / August 19. 2009 7:19PM GMT

Kuwaiti policemen check the area where 46 women and children died in the fire. Nasser Wajeeh / AP Photo

KUWAIT CITY // Survivors of the wedding tent that was deliberately set on fire, killing 46 women and children, recounted yesterday the horrific scenes inside as partygoers tried to escape the inferno by ripping through the tent’s walls with their teeth.

The groom’s first wife said she doused the tent with petrol and set it on fire to take revenge on her husband’s family for destroying her marriage, in an unconfirmed confession published in the local press.

The woman has not been officially named as the suspect, though security sources confirmed she was being questioned.

“I arrived at the wedding at 9pm and as soon as I entered, I smelt gasoline,” said Munifa Ojail, 37, at Al Babtain Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, where she is recovering from burns to 10 per cent of her body. “There was a band with drums and instruments on the stage, and the tent was alive with music. It was packed with dancing girls who were wearing make-up.

“I sat next to my cousin, and we spotted an electrical cable running under the seat. I joked, saying, ‘we could get burned because of this wire,’” Ms Ojail said.

The fire started after two songs and those on the stage were burnt by the flames first, she said. “Many of the girls were wearing hairspray, and the heat caused it to burst into flames. I saw people’s hair fall off their heads.”

“Flames started pouring out from under the seats beside the walls, and everybody ran for their lives.” Ms Ojail said the tent’s main door was sealed shut and a small door was the only way out.


“I saw flaming air conditioners falling on top of people, and a jeep outside the tent exploded,” she said, adding that her clothes caught fire and she fell to the floor in pain. After ripping them off, she crawled to the kitchen area to throw water over herself. She said a four-year old girl who was on fire ran over to her “and asked me to douse the flames”.

She said there were bodies strewn across the floor of the tent. “I even saw a dead girl stuck in the garbage container.”

Many of the women near the sealed door were stuck. Ms Ojail said: “People outside the tent were screaming, and the women inside started ripping the walls of the tent with their teeth.

“I haven’t slept since the accident, and every time I close my eyes I see it all again. I usually attend weddings every couple of weeks, but I will never go to one again.”

She said the groom’s first wife must get the death penalty “for what we suffered in there”.

Najazi al Obaidan, 16, is also recovering from her burns at Al Babtain. Her mother died in the fire and her sister-in-law is in intensive care.

“I didn’t want to go to the wedding because I don’t think the tents are safe, but my mother told me I have to go because we are neighbours,” she said.

“There were around 200 women in the tent, so many that it was difficult to get in. It was so crowded and stuffy. I was wearing a skirt and a blouse and everybody was dressed up. We tried to get out the main door, but it was locked. Somehow, my sisters managed to escape and cut the tent open from outside. In the scramble to get out, I lost my mother, and I haven’t seen her since – she’s dead.”

Najazi said when the fire brigade arrived after about 30 minutes a fireman carried her away from the tent. “Bodies were everywhere, and everybody was pouring water all over themselves. I did the same”.

“I want to see the woman who did this burning like the people who were in that tent. I want to see her walking around on fire until she is burnt down and dead,” she said.

Another survivor, Nora, 19, said she struggled to get into the tent because it was so crowded but eventually squeezed in. She said she spotted the fire early and ran to tell the people in the men’s tent.

“I saw fireballs everywhere, girls with revealing dresses were in flames” and some ripped them off, Noura said. She said men covered the girls with sheets and “some people opened their car doors so the women could hide inside”.

“Thank God, nothing happened to me, but my mother burnt her arms, back and stomach. Now, she doesn’t sleep well and she cries all the time,” she said. “I’ll never attend another wedding for as long as I live.”

jcalderwood@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090821/FOREIGN/708209841/1011/ART


Bidoon status link to Kuwait wedding fire

James Calderwood

• Last Updated: August 20. 2009 10:38PM UAE / August 20. 2009 6:38PM GMT

JAHRA // The woman who has reportedly confessed to starting a deadly wedding tent fire in Jahra and her husband are both from families of stateless Kuwaitis, known locally as bidoons, local press reported.

“According to a neighbour, the husband was a bidoon and obtained citizenship only eight months ago,” said Ali Ahmed al Baghli, a former minister of oil, in an opinion piece for the local English-language daily, the Arab Times. He said a local newspaper reported that the man’s first wife, 23, who is suspected of starting the fire, is also a bidoon.

Mr al Baghli said the woman wanted to keep her relationship with her husband in the hope of getting citizenship. “It is not surprising she does everything to get rid of the restrictions imposed on her because she is a bidoon,” he said.

The fire that engulfed the wedding tent in a matter of minutes on Saturday killed 46 women and children. Officials have arrested a person in connection with the fire, and the confession of the groom’s first wife was published in the local press. The woman has not been officially named as the suspect.

The bidoon community in Kuwait is estimated to consist of at least 100,000 people, and many of them live in Jahra, where the disaster took place. The country is also home to many foreign nationals, as citizens make up just one third of the country’s three million residents.

Many of the bidoons are from tribes that roamed the Arabian Peninsula. Some came to Kuwait as jobs flourished in the oil boom of the 1960s and 1970s, but settled too late to receive the citizenship that was handed out in Kuwait’s formative years. The government also claims that some are hiding their true nationality in the hope of getting a Kuwaiti passport, along with all the perks of a rich welfare state.


“Even though the term bidoon is technically correct it has derogatory connotations,” said Talal al Obeid, a resident of Jahra who does not have citizenship. “It means you’re poor, you probably don’t have a job and you probably have a bad life.”

The word bidoon comes from the Arabic phrase “bidoon jensiyya”, which means “without citizenship”.

Bidoons cannot get permanent driving licences, fully fledged passports or marriage certificates, Mr al Obeid said. They have to pay for health care and education; they cannot own land and have limited access to government jobs.

While female bidoons who marry Kuwaiti citizens can get citizenship, the reverse is not true. And nationality is passed through the father, so his children will always be stateless. A few hundred bidoons are granted citizenship every year, but he can only pass it on to his children under the age of 21. As a result, siblings in some families are Kuwaitis while others are not.

Kareem, a bidoon who withheld his surname because of the sensitivity of the issue, was a sergeant in the army for 14 years. “The bidoon situation is not only a disgrace to Kuwait, but to all Arab nations. he said. “The UN and USA have tried to find a solution, but the government just says ‘we are taking care of them’. It’s all just ink on paper.”

The military offers some of the few state jobs open to bidoons, although they are never commissioned. Kareem lost his job on the day of the Iraqi invasion and after liberation, he was not re-employed. He said that many Kuwaitis wrongly suspect bidoons of collaborating with the invaders.

“A solution will never come from the Kuwaiti government, it will have to be enforced by a higher power,” he said. “Here, Kuwaitis will never give up their piece of the pie.”

Kareem and two of his sons work in a scrap yard when jobs are available. They leave their graffitied and potholed estate and drive past miles of Kuwaiti-owned mansions on the way there. The back-breaking work in the boiling heat is a long way from the cushy government jobs that most Kuwaitis enjoy.

In the dishevelled shacks for servicing or scraping old cars, another bidoon who gave his name as Abu Mohammed said: “As bad as this looks, we’re actually doing pretty well compared to some other bidoons. We’re tired of these things; it’s about time all of this came out.”

His colleague, Abu Abdulaziz, took a rest from the heat, and said: “Unlike Kuwaitis, when we are sick, we have to pay. Bidoons don’t have the right to get sick in Kuwait. We’re not asking for a lot, just our basic rights.

“A lot of bidoons were in that wedding tent fire, and they won’t even be able to get death certificates.”



jcalderwood@thenational.ae

WOW TY NC Susan for that article. So much in this world I don't know. I hate being ignorant.