In a tragic incident, at least 10 people, including nine Bangladeshis, were killed in a devastating fire at a furniture factory in a commercial area of Al Hofuf city in Saudi Arabia, according to media reports.
The deceased have been identified as Md Rubel Hossain, Md Obaidul, Ramjan, Md Sajedul Islam, Arif, Barek Shardar, Md Jubayet Dhali, Saiful Islam, Md Firoz Ali Shardar.
Among the victims, one was an Indian national.
“As many as 14 Bangladeshi expatriates were employed to the sofa factory operated by an Indian migrant,” the Bangladesh mission in the Kingdom said, citing Biplob Hossain and Md Juwel Hossain, who survived the fire on Friday.
“The workers were asleep in the accommodation built above the factory after having lunch after the Jummah prayer. Biplob and Juwel stepped outside after hearing screams on the ground. The factory was engulfed in smoke at that time.”
The bodies of the Bangladeshi migrants have been kept at the King Fahad Hospital morgue in Al Hofuf. The injured are receiving treatment at the same hospital.
Ambassador Mohammad Javed Patwary instructed the labour welfare wing of the mission to take prompt measures to fly the Bangladeshi migrants’ bodies back to the country.
