16 Bangladeshis killed in Saudi Arabia fire

The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh has confirmed the death of 16 Bangladeshis so far in a horrific fire at a sofa-making factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Moniruzzaman told BBC Bangla that 11 of the deceased were from Atrai upazila in the northern district of Naogaon.

However, the Expatriate Welfare Ministry says that 13 of the deceased are from Atrai.

According to information sent to the Expatriate Welfare Ministry from the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia, it is initially believed that the fire may have started from an electrical short circuit.

The government news agency BSS reported that the Expatriate Welfare Ministry has ordered the concerned authorities to quickly bring back the bodies of those killed in the accident, hand them over to their families and ensure compensation.

Information received from the ministry says that the sofa-making factory in the Musa Sanaiya Industrial Area of Shifa Police Station area of Riyadh was run by Bangladeshi workers.

The fire broke out around 2pm local time on Sunday and the fire service there immediately went to the scene and started a rescue operation.

Habibur survived while getting a haircut.

The Bangladesh Embassy's Labour Wing said they had recovered a total of 16 bodies from the scene and the rescue operation ended at 11pm local time in Saudi Arabia.