The fire at a wedding tent in Kuwait that killed 41 women and children consumed the structure in a blazing inferno lasting just three minutes, the fire department chief said Sunday.
"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, the day after the disaster.
He said Kuwaiti authorities were running DNA tests to identify the 35 women and six children killed in the fire, which left many victims unrecognizable....
Al-Mansouri said 58 injured were still in hospitals, seven in serious condition with severe burns.
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 al-Mansouri.
There has been talk of banning wedding tents altogether, though the structures are also used for election campaigns.
It was not clear if the bride survived or how many were in the tent when it caught fire. Al-Mansouri said the structure was 13 yards (12 meters) long and could have housed up to 180 people.
The fire at a wedding tent in Kuwait that killed 41 women and children consumed the structure in a blazing inferno lasting just three minutes, the fire department chief said Sunday.
"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, the day after the disaster.
He said Kuwaiti authorities were running DNA tests to identify the 35 women and six children killed in the fire, which left many victims unrecognizable....
Al-Mansouri said 58 injured were still in hospitals, seven in serious condition with severe burns.
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 al-Mansouri.
There has been talk of banning wedding tents altogether, though the structures are also used for election campaigns.
It was not clear if the bride survived or how many were in the tent when it caught fire. Al-Mansouri said the structure was 13 yards (12 meters) long and could have housed up to 180 people.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090816/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_kuwait_wedding_fire
One can only hope that most of them died quickly.
"Most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity of opportunity to be otherwise."
-- Maya Angelou