Fire at Saudi wedding kills 23 women, children

Over 23 women and children have been reported killed when a blaze that erupted inside a tent at a wedding was set ablaze.

The media cite civil defense officials said celebratory gunfire, common at weddings, brought down a power line that touched off the fire late Tuesday in the Eastern Province.

The official Saudi Press Agency said Wednesday that a special government committee will conduct an investigation into the incident. The probe will be by the provincial governor.

Saudi Arabia’s ultraconservative codes require genders to be separated at most public events, including weddings.