Fire on Makkah-Jeddah expressway under control: Saudi authorities

Saudi firefighters have put out a blaze on the Makkah-Jeddah expressway, authorities said on Tuesday.

The fire was caused after a tanker carrying petroleum was involved in a road accident.

Provincial authorities said ten vehicles had caught fire, but that there were no injuries.

A video posted to the Makkah region’s official Twitter account showed cars driving by a raging fire stretching across the central divide of the highway. Shortly after, vehicles were diverted away from the scene.

#يحدث_الان
مدني #العاصمة_المقدسة يباشر إخماد حريق
نشب في ناقلة مواد بترولية على طريق
مكة – جدة السريع نتيجة حادث مروري. pic.twitter.com/dnCx8Xcryd

— إمارة منطقة مكة المكرمة (@makkahregion) August 23, 2021

Civil Defense teams at the site eventually managed to control the fire, authorities announce soon after 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

The highway, also known as the Haramain Expressway, is the key route into the holy city of Makkah from the west.