stmayo11
Senior Member
ExPats Community Moderator
Posts: 159
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Post by stmayo11 on Aug 30, 2015 14:27:48 GMT
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Post by vpainter on Aug 30, 2015 15:35:10 GMT
The family of Aramco and the company are coming together to take care of the needs of those effected by the fire. We are each other's family in this place.
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Post by KSAhopeful on Aug 31, 2015 3:23:57 GMT
A very tic incident indeed. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
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Post by ToesInTheSand on Aug 31, 2015 13:30:35 GMT
I read about this last night. What an awful situation. This must be especially difficult considering the housing shortages I keep reading about on here. I assume they had to shutter the entire complex, where are those people going to live?
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FPEPRO
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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Post by FPEPRO on Aug 31, 2015 14:11:13 GMT
What a terrible tedy. Fire protection engineering is my specialty, and it kills me inside every time I see incidents like these. I will be arriving in KSA in a few weeks, and I am sure I will be hearing much more about this disaster.
-CT
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Post by vpainter on Aug 31, 2015 17:33:46 GMT
What has happened in response to this crises:
The company has put many people up in 2 hotels and whatever homes they could put people in on the other compounds. The Aramco community has come together and are working with the company and the many needs of these families and bachelors are being met as quickly as possible, including counselors are already working with Radium residents. Residents of DHA, Rakah, Pearl and The DHA Tower are all working throughout the day and evening sorting and distributing all the huge amount of donations that have been given by Aramco residents and providing child care as needed. The company is feeding all the Radium residents and providing many necessities.
It has been amazing how the company and Aramco residents have come together to care for our family.
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Uman
Senior Member
Posts: 161
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Post by Uman on Sept 8, 2015 14:56:36 GMT
a tedy that could have been avoided!
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Post by detfans on Sept 9, 2015 7:35:33 GMT
I would like to include in the list that painter mentioned the Abqaiq and Ras Tanura communities, they came here to help as well, with donations, their cars to take us were we needed, went to the hospitals to meet us and so on, they were so humble they didn't let anybody write down where they came from or who they were, bless this wonderful souls.
As a survivor of the tedy myself, I just can say to those intending to come here: if you are not an US passport holder please please think this thoroughly... we came thinking we were joining the best oil company in the world, just to end up being trapped in a "residential" cage that almost kill us. If you are not escaping from war or a terrible situation where you are now, stay there, no money in the world is worth living the nightmare we, the almost 200 families and 200+ bachelors had to live. We are heading back as soon as we find school for our kids, we dont want to alter their lives even more, and for those fellow survivors that stay, and the residents of the proper communities, our prayers will be with you forever, and Insh we will meet you again in another time and place
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FPEPRO
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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Post by FPEPRO on Sept 9, 2015 21:47:57 GMT
Detfans,
I know this is a horrible tedy, but that seems like a severe over-reaction to abandon all and proclaim the job and company as being only slightly above a war torn location... Especially since the Radium compound is not even owned by Aramco, it's only leased. Accidents happen everywhere. But the true test of humanity is how you respond. Will you run away at the first sign of adversity, or stand strong and do your part to ensure it never happens again? For me, disasters of this sort always strengthen my resolve to try harder to make the world better. Running in fear never changes anything for the good. Just a thought from a 9-11 survivor.
-CT
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Post by fionablack77 on Sept 9, 2015 22:31:56 GMT
Hi all
Firstly my thoughts and prayers go out to the bereaved and injured of this horrific accident.
I would like to enquire what was meant by "if you are not a U.S. Passport holder think seriously about coming to KSA". Is there different accommodation or benefits to those who aren't American? I only ask as I'm being interviewed for a medical secretary post this month and fingers crossed I will be successful this time as 3 years previously I wasn't! Tic accidents do happen everywhere and I can only assume that there were no fire alarms or sprinkler system in the apartment block? Perhaps now the company will make it standard for all accommodation?
Best wishes,
Fiona (Northern Ireland)
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Post by bogiefrommuskogee on Sept 10, 2015 4:53:01 GMT
detfans,
I'm glad to know you are okay. Many in my department including two in my unit were living there. I hope you have quick success with the school so that their education has minimnal interruption. I hope everything goes smoothly for you and you family. I wish you all the best.
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Post by Shammal on Sept 11, 2015 20:32:28 GMT
FPEPRO,
It wasn't an accident. It was gross negligence. Aramco is responsible for ensuring that the housing they place you in is safe.
Not one alarm was triggered. No power or water. The fire started in the lower floors. Tires and gasoline were burning but some on the upper floors didn't know there was a fire until it was too late.
I enjoy working for Aramco, but you should at least feel justified in asking where you will be housed with enough lead time to ask for documentation on safety standards and inspections.
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Post by Dohian on Sept 15, 2015 11:13:31 GMT
Does anyone know what is happening with the accommodation of the new joiners? Is the mobilization of new joiners on hold now for lack of short term housing?
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Post by Guiness10 on Sept 15, 2015 16:47:24 GMT
Fiona, I am British and I have very adequate accommodation, unfortunately the tedy has scarred people and I feel for them, but you will be housed on a camp (a main one) and the accommodation is fine and I wish you luck for the interview
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FPEPRO
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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Post by FPEPRO on Sept 17, 2015 15:22:58 GMT
I respect your opinion Shammal, but in my long career in industrial safety, specializing in Fire Protection, I can say that there has never once been an "accident" that was not due to negligence at some point. Safety is everyone's responsibility, not only the official keepers or owners of a building. If you are planning to live in a home or a building and you are going to trust your life and the life of your family to that home or building then you should also be vigilant in insuring to your own abilities that the home or building is safe. If you have any questions at all about its safety, then those questions need to be raised as soon as you have them. Not after a disaster. Everyone needs to protect themselves and assume that the facility will have some failures. Fire Safety suggestions at a minimum: * Install smoke detectors in your home ( more than just one, preferably in every room). These should preferably be installed at the highest point on your ceiling or wall. * Install carbon monoxide detectors (again, more than just one). These must be installed about a meter or less from the floor. * Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector right outside your front door ( if you live in a multiple floor complex like Radium or similar). This will alert people if the hallway begins filling with smoke first. * Install a couple fire extinguishers in the home and strategically place them where needed the most. * If you live in a multi-story home or building, then you should have at least one roll up escape ladder ( or even a rope knotted every half meter would be better than nothing) in the home to aide in escape from a window when necessary. * Be sure to test and check all of these devices regularly to insure they operate properly. As a family, you should also practice escaping from the home just in case there is an emergency. * If your gae is connected to your home ( especially if it's in the basement), check under your car every time you arrive and depart to insure there is no combustible trash under your car and no fuel or oil leaks. If you live in a building or home where you will have to travel more than 3 floors to escape, then you might want to consider investing in something like a Spare Air Scuba tank. It gives you just enough air to escape and is just held in your teeth as you walk. They're not cheap, but I used these a lot in the military, and they get the job done. www.spareair.com/product/models.htmlYou own your safety, and it is only aided by others. You must take responsibility for your own safety first and foremost. Admittedly, if the building did not have operable suppression or detection, then they absolutely have some changes that they need to make. But before you go on about it being such a horrible place, I will tell you that I have seen countless suppression and detection systems around the world fail, and they often fail because someone got tired of false alarms and simply turned them off. This is absolutely not a Saudi Arabia or Aramco problem only. So abandoning all hope because of this is not a really well thought out decision. -CT |
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