RIYADH(National Times)- Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said it was in “deep shock” on Monday after reporting that 16 of the country’s citizens died in a factory fire in Saudi Arabia the day before.

It reported “the tragic deaths of 16 Bangladeshi nationals in a fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh” in a statement.

The fire broke out on Sunday at a manufacturing facility in the industrial area of the Al Shifa district in Riyadh, according to the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh.

“There were no injuries reported; all those affected died,” the embassy said in a statement.

Dhaka’s minister for expatriate welfare, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, said that there was “constant communication” with local authorities through the Bangladeshi embassy in Saudi Arabia.

“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 Bangladeshi embassy in Riyadh later said it remained in contact with the families of the deceased and was “coordinating with Saudi authorities on victim identification and repatriation formalities”.

Around seven million Bangladeshis work overseas — the majority in the Middle East.

The civil defence agency in the Saudi capital said it had extinguished a fire at an unlicensed facility where furniture was upholstered, without providing details of any casualties.

“The necessary regulatory procedures were subsequently completed regarding the site,” it said in a statement on X.

Like many Gulf nations, Saudi Arabia relies on vast numbers of labourers from the subcontinent to help bolster its workforce, especially for jobs involving manual labour. Reports in Saudi media estimate that over three million Bangladeshi nationals reside in the kingdom.

Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia do everything from management to cleaning the streets and waiting on tables, in a society where many citizens are reluctant to take jobs they consider menial.