A fire broke out in the International Indian School, Riyadh (IISR) Boys Section in Rawda District gutting parts of the building's administration section, stationery room and façade of the principal's office. Imtiaz Ahmed, member of the school's Managing Committee, said he was the first one to arrive after the fire broke out at around 4 P.M. “I was personally involved in putting out the fire. We managed to break the glass panes of the adjoining accounts room, which was about to be engulfed by flames,” he said. He said the passersby informed the security guards on duty. However, the cause of the fire was still not known. Civil Defense officials are investigating the cause of fire, he added. Asked about the extent of damage due to the fire, he said the stationery room, which had material such as letterheads and other writing material was badly gutted. However, he said the school premises is fully insured and the insurance company has started investigating the extent of the damage. He said the passport section and other financial records were all safe. Around six to seven firefighting trucks that arrived on the scene managed to control the fire within 40 minutes, he said. “Smoke was billowing out of the school when I arrived. I saw parts of the principal's front office in flames. It could have been a disaster had the firefighters not arrived in time,” said one eyewitness, pointing at the gas station adjoining the school premises. Moreover, the IISR, which has a student population of 10,000 is closed for the annual summer vacation. __
