Fire breaks out in Makkah hotel; 600 pilgrims evacuated

A 15-storey hotel in Makkah was evacuated on Monday after a fire broke out on the property, state news agency SPA reported.

No casualties or injuries were reported and the fire has been brought under control, spokesperson for civil defense department (Makkah) Major Naif Al-Sharif said.

All 600 guests – mainly from Turkey and Yemen who are in Makkah for Hajj – have since returned to the hotel.

Al-Sharif said the fire started in an air-conditioning unit on the eighth floor of the hotel, and an investigating team is working to identify the cause.