At least 16 Bangladeshi nationals have been killed in a devastating fire in Saudi Arabia, according to a notification issued by the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry early Monday.
The fire broke out at a sofa factory in the Musa Industrial Area under the Al-Shifa police station in Riyadh around 2:00pm yesterday, killing 16 people on the spot, said the notification, quoting fire service personnel working there.
The notification quoted witnesses as saying all the victims were from Bangladesh.
The local fire service was still carrying out rescue operations when the notification was issued around today.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh has expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
Officials were present at the site and remained in close contact with Saudi authorities to identify the victims, according to the notification that quoted Rezae Rabbie, counsellor (labour) of the Labour Welfare Wing at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh.
According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, 13 of the deceased were from Naogaon — Farid, Shuvo, Md Rubel Pramanik, Suman, Md Kaliyuddin, Md Mohon, Md Sumon, Minhaj, Hridoy, Shaheen, Abdul Jalil, Majidul and Shagor; two were from Natore — Shamim and Sabbir; and one was from Rajshahi — Shyamol. The rest were from the northern and western Natore and Rajshahi districts, according to the ministry.
“Such untimely and tragic deaths of expatriates working in distant Saudi Arabia in search of livelihood are very heartbreaking. Their contribution to the country’s economy is immense,” the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh said it is closely monitoring the situation and providing all necessary assistance.
Saudi Arabia remains the top destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, with roughly 3.5 million citizens living and working in the Kingdom.
Bangladeshi migrant workers sent more than $2.7 billion in remittances last year, with the majority employed in low-skilled jobs.
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