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| Blaze at prison in Saudi Arabia kills 67 inmates |
| By New York Times |
| Published: 09/17/2003 |
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A fire Monday at the largest prison in Riyadh killed 67 inmates and injured 20 inmates and three security guards, Saudi and American officials said. The officials described the blaze as the deadliest prison fire in the kingdom's history. The fire quickly engulfed a building on the grounds of maximum-security al-Hair Prison, which held several hundred detainees and inmates accused or convicted of crimes ranging from political dissension to the possession of alcohol, officials said. John Burgess, a spokesman for the American Embassy, said Monday night that Saudi officials did not believe the fire's cause was arson. Burgess dismissed initial reports that the fire may have been set by angry al-Qaida detainees. 'To the best of my knowledge, there are no al-Qaida-related detainees held at this prison,' he said. |
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