Saudi civil defence has evacuated 1,028 Asian pilgrims after a fire broke out at a hotel in Makkah, reports the Saudi Press Agency.
The 11-storey hotel at Al-Azizyiah neighbourhood is licensed to house Hajj pilgrims.
The report quoted civil defence spokesperson Col Abdullah Al-Orabi Al-Harthy as saying two persons had been injured in the incident.
The fire broke out in a room on the hotel’s eighth floor at 12:30am on Thursday local time (3:30am BdST).
However, the Saudi authorities did not disclose what caused the fire.
Millions of Muslims are expected to converge in Makkah for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the biggest religious congregations in the world.
The incident has occurred a week after more than 100 people, including a Bangladeshi, were killed when a massive crane crashed into the Grand Mosque.
In a statement, the civil defence said it dispatched six teams immediately after learning of the incident. It said they saved two pilgrims injured in the fire.
SPA quoted Col Al-Harthy as saying that they were coordinating with the Ministry of Hajj to accommodate the pilgrims and provide them with suitable housing.
Source: Bd news24