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Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said on Monday that it was “deeply shocked” by the deaths of 16 Bangladeshi nationals in a factory fire in Saudi Arabia.
The ministry said the victims died in a fire that broke out on Sunday at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.
According to the Bangladeshi embassy in Riyadh, the fire occurred at a manufacturing facility in the industrial area of Al Shifa district.
The embassy said all those affected in the incident died, with no injuries reported.
“There were no injuries reported; all those affected died,” the embassy said in a statement.
Bangladesh’s Minister for Expatriate Welfare, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, said officials were maintaining contact with Saudi authorities through the Bangladeshi embassy.
He added that arrangements were being made to repatriate the victims’ remains quickly, while ensuring government assistance and compensation for their families.
“Officials have been instructed to ensure the speedy repatriation of the bodies of the deceased expatriates and to secure all necessary government assistance and compensation for their families,” he added.
The embassy later said it was in contact with the victims’ families and working with Saudi authorities on identification and the procedures required to return the bodies.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said it had put out a fire at an unlicensed furniture-upholstery facility in the capital but did not disclose details about casualties.
It said regulatory procedures had subsequently been completed at the site.
About seven million Bangladeshis work overseas, with most employed in the Middle East.
Saudi media reports estimate that more than three million Bangladeshis live in the kingdom, where foreign workers occupy jobs ranging from management and skilled roles to street cleaning and hospitality.
