S.Arabia: Fire breaks out in train station in Jeddah

JEDDAH (AA) – A fire ripped through the Haramain high-speed rail station in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Sunday, according to the kingdom’s civil defense agency.

Video footage showed plumes of thick black smoke rising from the roof of the station with helicopters flying nearby.

The agency said it was working to control the fire.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, whose cause is as yet unknown.

Linking the holy cities of Makkah and Medina with Jeddah, the $7.3-billion, 450-kilometer Haramain Railway opened last year.

The railway is crucial in facilitating the annual Hajj pilgrimage for the Muslim faithful.