Two weeks after the fire that changed his family’s life, Saleh Salman Al-Kulaibi, “Abu Mubarak,” is still recalling the details of that morning when he woke up to the screams of his children, before he lost 5 of them, in one of the most painful incidents that Riyadh has recently witnessed.
Al-Kulaibi, his wife, and his son Mubarak did not leave the hospital until two days ago, after spending about a week and a half in intensive care, as a result of their injuries from the fire that broke out in their home south of Riyadh.
Al-Kulaibi narrates to Okaz the details of the first moments of the incident: “At eleven in the morning on Friday, I was sleeping with my young son, and I heard my children screaming as they called: Oh, Daddy is on fire… I got up and the first one to confront me was my son Mubarak, so I tried to save him first and was able to get him out, then I came back again and was able to save my son Jihad, and after that I tried to go back to save the rest of the children.”
Abu Mubarak continues: “All I was thinking about at the time was reaching them, but the fire spread quickly and smoke filled the place, so I tried more than once, but the flames prevented me from reaching the rest of my children.”
He says that the moments that followed were the most difficult things he had ever experienced in his life, as he had to go with his wife outside the building after it became impossible to stay inside, while a number of his children remained inside the apartment. “We stood waiting for the civil defense teams to arrive, full of hope, and when the rescue operations began, the children were taken out one by one. Some of them had died, and others were in critical conditions… From the horror of the shock, I no longer felt anything, and I could no longer comprehend what was happening around me.”
Sadness among colleagues
Tariq Muhammad Hubani, the student Mubarak’s teacher, confirmed that the incident left a deep impact on the hearts of the school’s employees, the student’s colleagues, and everyone who knew the family.
He told Okaz: “We offer our condolences to Abu Mubarak for the death of his five children. The catastrophe is great for the entire family, and all school employees have been affected by this tragedy, and we continue to stand by the family and provide them with all possible support.”
He added that Mubarak was one of the school’s students, and that his family was known among its neighbors and the people of the neighborhood for its chastity and good conduct.
The pain of loss is still present
Al-Kulaibi explained that the fire caused varying injuries to him, his wife, and his son Mubarak, which required them to be hospitalized, and they stayed for about a week and a half in intensive care before their health conditions improved and they left two days ago.
He explained that his son Mubarak suffered superficial burns to his face and hands, while his mother is still recovering from the effects of the fire.
Despite his release from the hospital, Al-Kulaibi confirms that the pain of loss is still present in every detail of his life after the departure of five of his children, asking God to cover them with His vast mercy and to inspire us with patience and steadfastness.
Two weeks after the fire that changed his family’s life, Saleh Salman Al-Khalibi, known as “Abu Mubarak,” is still recalling the details of that morning when he woke up to the screams of his children, before losing five of them in one of the most painful incidents that Riyadh has witnessed recently.
Al-Khalibi, his wife, and their son Mubarak only left the hospital two days ago, after spending about a week and a half in intensive care, affected by injuries from the fire that broke out in their home in southern Riyadh.
Al-Khalibi recounts to “Okaz” the details of the first moments of the incident: “At eleven o’clock on Friday morning, I was sleeping with my little son when I heard my children screaming: ‘Dad, fire!’ I got up and the first one I faced was my son Mubarak, so I tried to save him first and managed to get him out. Then I went back again and was able to rescue my son Jihad, and after that, I tried to return to save the rest of the children.”
“Abu Mubarak” continues: “All I was thinking about at that time was reaching them, but the fire was spreading quickly and smoke filled the place. I tried several times, but the flames prevented me from reaching my other children.”
He says that the moments that followed were the hardest he has ever experienced in his life, as he had to descend with his wife outside the building after it became impossible to stay inside, while several of his children remained inside the apartment. “We stood waiting for the arrival of the civil defense teams, all of us hopeful, and when the rescue operations began, the children were brought out one by one; some had already passed away, while others were in critical condition. From the shock, I no longer felt anything, and I could not comprehend what was happening around me.”
Grief Among Colleagues
Tarik Muhammad Habani, the teacher of student Mubarak, confirmed that the incident left a deep impact on the souls of the school staff, the student’s classmates, and everyone who knew the family.
He told “Okaz”: “We extend our condolences to ‘Abu Mubarak’ for the loss of his five children; the tragedy is immense for the entire family, and all the school staff have been affected by this disaster. We continue to stand by the family and provide them with the possible support.”
He added that Mubarak is one of the students at the school and that his family is known among their neighbors and in the neighborhood for their dignity and good reputation.
The Pain of Loss is Still Present
Al-Khalibi explained that the fire left varying injuries for him, his wife, and their son Mubarak, which required them to be hospitalized, and they spent about a week and a half in intensive care before their health conditions improved and they left it two days ago.
He indicated that his son Mubarak suffered superficial burns on his face and hands, while his mother is still continuing her recovery journey from the effects of the fire.
Despite leaving the hospital, Al-Khalibi confirms that the pain of loss is still present in every detail of his life after the departure of five of his children, asking God to envelop them in His vast mercy and to grant them patience and steadfastness.
