A gas tank explosion in Madinah killed five people and damaged several vehicles on Tuesday, according to officials.

An investigation has been launched to ascertain the cause of the explosion that took place near the Prince Mohammed National Guard Hospital, they said.

The blast did not damage the hospital’s main building and did not harm any patient, said a joint statement issued by the National Guard’s Health Affairs Department and Civil Defense.

It said the hospital’s medical services were not affected by the incident.

The blast did not damage the hospital’s main building. The explosion occurred around 9:15 a.m. at the Gasco (National Gas and Industrialization Co.) facility during maintenance work, damaging several vehicles parked in the area.

The gas storage building caught fire as a result of the explosion, causing damage to surrounding areas, said the statement.

Gasco said it had no direct relation with the maintenance work. “Our mission was limited to ensuring the gas tank’s safety after maintenance works were carried out by the contractor,” the company said, adding that its representative died in the explosion.

Gasco extended its condolences to the victims’ families.

 
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