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OFFICIALS in Bahrain have warned event planners to ensure strict safety procedures are carried out in tents used for hosting Ramadan ghabga gatherings in the wake of a Kuwait blaze tragedy.
A fire at a wedding tent in Kuwait that killed 41 women and children consumed the structure in a blazing inferno lasting just three minutes, a fire department chief said.
"It was a horrific scene with bodies and many shoes stuck to the ground at the only exit, they must have trampled over one another," said Brig Gen Jassem Al Mansouri.
He said Kuwaiti authorities were running DNA tests to identify the 35 women and six children killed in the fire, which left many victims unrecognisable.
Authorities were investigating the cause and Al Mansouri said it could have been faulty electrical wiring, a problem with the equipment used to keep the food buffet warm or the coals used for burning incense.
Events in tents should be licensed so that authorities approve the type of tent set up and ensure it has the necessary safety features, said the chief, adding that Kuwait event was not licensed.
In Bahrain civil defence officials said that rules and conditions were put in place to ensure strict safety standards are adhered to by organisers hosting events in tents and all need a license.
"The tragedy in Kuwait is a clear warning that safety procedures must not be ignored," a spokesman said.
The rules include ample exits being provided, ornamental lanterns should not be place on fabric and fire extinguisers must be kept close by.
