ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and more than 30 others injured in a fire that broke out at a shopping mall in Yemen's oil-rich province of Marib on Sunday, a government official told Xinhua.
The official of Marib's health department, who asked to remain anonymous, said the blaze erupted at around 1:00 a.m. local time (2200 GMT on Saturday) at the Ibn al-Hajj Clothing Center, one of the largest clothing stores in the government-controlled province.
Eyewitnesses said the fire initially broke out in staff residential rooms before spreading to a cafeteria inside the complex and then to neighboring shops. The flames quickly engulfed large sections of the building, prompting panic among workers and residents in the vicinity.
They indicated that the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Emergency response teams rushed to the scene and worked for several hours to contain the blaze and evacuate those trapped inside. The injured were transferred to nearby public hospitals for treatment, while authorities launched an inquiry into the incident.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in support of the government. The prolonged war has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, and has severely damaged infrastructure and strained public services.
Many shopping centers and public buildings in the war-ravaged country operate with limited fire prevention systems and outdated electrical infrastructure, heightening the risk of accidents and complicating emergency response efforts, according local officials.
