A fire incident has occurred at the Imaratus Sanan Hotel in the Sharamansur area of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which accommodated over 480 Nigerian pilgrims in the country for the 2025 Hajj.

The incident claimed no life as the pilgrims were not in the premises at the time the fire started.

The Guardian learnt that the pilgrims had departed for Mina to partake in the symbolic stoning ritual, a central rite of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The incident was confirmed in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Fatima Usara.

According to Usara, the fire was put out by the swift response of the Saudi fire service and first responders who did their best to prevent casualties.

At the scene of the incident, NAHCON Chairman Abdullahi Usman, revealed that efforts were in place to relocate and provide support for those affected.

Usman also commended the Saudi fire service and the hotel management for their quick response to the incident.