:: Fire hit a petrol station in the southwestern region of Najran on Thursday night, prompting the evacuation of residents of the building nearby, the Directorate for Civil Defense said Friday.

In a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the directorate said a tanker was being refueled at the filling station when it caught fire.

At least 25 people living in an apartment building nearby were evacuated as firefighters tried to suppress the fire. Four citizens were taken to a hospital for treatment from smoke inhalation.

Two cars and five shops were also destroyed by fire, the SPA report said.

Fire investigators said the blaze was obviously a result of failure to observe safety procedures.