MAKKAH: The Civil Defense evacuated pilgrims from two buildings at Shab Amir in Makkah Tuesday after authorities discovered that the owners added two floors without construction permits. Civil Defense officials referred the building supervisors to authorities to question them and determine if official parties facilitated the illegal additions. Brig. Gen Jameel Arabaee, director of Civil Defense in Makkah, said the buildings were evacuated because no one can guarantee that the buildings' foundations can withstand the additions. The violation was discovered by a team tasked with inspecting the safety of buildings in Makkah rented by the pilgrims, he added. The committee also confiscated the rent paid by the pilgrims, said General Arabaee, who stressed that the Civil Defense will not tolerate violations that may endanger pilgrims' lives. The Civil Defense, which is aggressively carrying out the inspections, has assigned 300 men to conduct around-the-clock checks of all pilgrims' buildings in Makkah, he said. Safety rules applied to pilgrims' buildings have reduced the death rate caused by collapsed buildings by 70 percent and material losses by 40 percent, compared to past years, he added. Okaz/Saudi Gazette __
