The fire broke out at Jeddah’s Haramain station at 12:35 p.m. local time.

:: A fire broke out in the Haramain high-speed rail station in Saudi Arabia’s coastal city of Jeddah, the country’s civil defense service said on Sunday.

Five people were taken to hospital, the Makkah regional government said after the fire broke out at 12:35 p.m. local time. Some 16 “medical teams” were at the scene and firefighters continued to tackle the blaze, Saudi Civil Defense said.

Dramatic videos on social media showed teams using helicopters to try and tackle the blaze.

The $7.3-billion, 450-kilometer Haramain Railway linking the two holiest cities in Islam, Makkah, and Medina, with Jeddah, was opened in September last year.

Fire breaks out at Haramain high-speed rail station in Jeddah

A fire broke out in the Haramain high-speed rail station in Jeddah on Sunday, injuring five.

Videos of the fire circulated on Twitter, showing thick billows of smoke. Civil defense forces and helicopters were seen trying to put out the fire. According to the Haramain high-speed railway’s official Twitter page, the fire broke out at 12:35 p.m. local time (0935 GMT).

The Haramain high-speed rail line – which was inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz last September – links Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City, and Madinah. It began its commercial operations in October 2018 between Mecca and Madinah.

As the first high-speed electric train in the region, the Haramain spans over 450 kilometers in a double line connecting five stations across Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, and Madinah.

It operates at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour and is the fastest train in the Middle East.

The fire broke out at Jeddah’s Haramain station at 12:35 p.m. local time.