Kuwait bans wedding tents

KUWAIT CITY. August 17. KAZINFORM. A Kuwaiti wedding tent, where 41 women and children died in a fire on Saturday, had only one exit, an official said, causing a stampede that compounded the death toll; Kazinform refers to Arab News.

"Since the first spark of the fire, the attendees rushed to the tent's exit and we found the bodies at the exit, it was a very painful scene," Col. Mohammed Al-Saber, Interior Ministry spokesman, told Reuters on Sunday.

"The tent, which had 13 pillars and could seat more than 200 people, unfortunately had only one exit," he said.

Kuwait banned wedding tents on Sunday after the blaze tore through the women's tent at the wedding in the Al-Jahra district, west of Kuwait city. More than 70 people were injured in the blaze. Kuwait state news agency KUNA said that 41 bodies had been recovered from the smoldering remains of the tent.

It was not clear if the bride survived or how many were in the tent when it caught fire.

The government has opened a hot line and an information center for relatives of the victims, Kuwaiti state television said; Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.