A Fire Disaster At A Wedding In A Village In The Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

摘要

This is a cross-sectional study of a fire disaster that occurred during a wedding in a village in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on 28 July 1999. The number of persons involved was 169 - all women and children. By February 2000, 74 of the victims had died. The patients were initially distributed in 17 various provincial and national hospitals. The total number remaining hospitalized was 25 in October 1999 and 6 in February 2000. Fourteen patients were sent to the UK and the USA. Our recommendations include performing nationwide studies of fire incidents and the socioeconomic losses they inflict; documenting the historical evolution of fire prevention, control, and management laws; training more physicians, nurses, and first-aid personnel; effecting disaster site control over a larger zone; renovating available burn units to up-to-date standards; having advanced burn centres that satisfy calculated needs; establishing computerized communication between various burn units; achieving interhospital transfer of cases within 24 h; organizing public education for behaviour in the event of disasters, especially fire-related disasters; and developing a body of collaboration of regional Gulf countries as regards fire disasters.