A multi-story residential complex in Saudi Arabia caught fire on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and injuring 219. Some of the 219 people injured were in critical condition. As the day has unfolded, the number of deaths and injuries kept climbing.
The building, known as Radium, is in the eastern city of Khobar. The Radium complex is a gated residential community with eight high-rise buildings housing 486 residential units, swimming pools and other leisure facilities.
The large fire is believed to have broken out in the basement of this very large residential complex that accommodates workers for the state oil giant Saudi Aramco. The company overseas OPEC's petroleum production. The company employs migrant laborers of various nationalities, according to The Daily Beast.
Mohammed Siddique, an engineer who lives close, said he saw smoke around 6 a.m., according to MSN. Authorities said the emergency crews, who struggled for hours, had the blaze under control by the middle of the afternoon.
Siddique said he saw 30 ambulances and three helicopters responding to the fire in the early morning.
Saudi Aramco is the world's largest oil company and employs more than 61,000 workers worldwide from 77 countries, according to DNA India. The fire is under investigation at this time.
