Children among 19 victims of mall blaze

At least some of the victims died as rescuers struggled to reach a child care centre at the Villaggio mall in the capital Doha yesterday, according to Qatar’s Minister of State for Interior Affairs, Sheik Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani.

Four of the children killed were Spanish citizens living in the small Arab emirate, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said. It did not identify the children.

A three-year-old French child was also among the victims, the deputy minister for overseas French citizens, Yamina Benguigui, said in a statement.

“We tried our best, but when we got there, the children were trapped inside. We are very sorry for what happened. We tried as much as we could to save these people,” Sheik Abdullah told reporters in Doha.

Four teachers and two civil defence officials were among the dead, the Qatari ministry said on its official Twitter page.

Another 17 people were injured, including four children, according to authorities. Most of those hurt were rescuers responding to the blaze. The mall was evacuated and emergency vehicles blocked entrances to the complex as firefighters battled the blaze and attempted to reach those inside.

Witnesses had reported thick black smoke pouring from the mall at around midday. Amateur photos and videos taken by shocked crowds which were posted online showed firefighters rescuing victims by climbing on the roof.

The Interior Ministry said the fire was extinguished hours later and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Villaggio opened in 2006 and is one of Qatar’s most popular shopping and amusement destinations. Retailers include many well-known Western brands, such as Foot Locker, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and British department store Marks & Spencer, according to its website.