Fayez, Deputy Minister of Education, said that a ministerial committee will be formed at the behest of the Minister of Education to investigate Saturday's fire accident at Bara'em Al-Watan School in Jeddah. “Our focus now is on the humanitarian situation. We want to offer condolences to the bereaved families. We won't take any measures or impose penalties now because this is not the right time,” said Al-Fayez, according to a report in Al-Madina newspaper. Abdullah Al-Thaqafi, Director of Education for Makkah region, said classes at the school will be suspended for a week and a team of educators and psychologists will be visiting the injured students and teachers. Dr. Ibrahim Yousef, Medical Director of Al-Jadani Hospital, said: “Many lives were saved thanks to the close distance of the hospital (to the school). The results could have been much worse had the victims arrived later at the hospital.” Mamdouh Al-Otaibi, father of one of the hospitalized students, told the Deputy Minister that “those who were negligent should be held accountable. The media should take some of the heat too because it only focuses on the positive side of officials.” When the Deputy Minister asked Al-Otaibi to submit his remarks in writing, he refused saying, “What's the use?” The Deputy Minister gave her card to Al-Otaibi and said: “I'm ready to receive any remarks from a father, student or eyewitness. We won't close our doors and we won't stay silent because the safety of our students is at stake here.”
