RIYADH(National Times)- Bangladesh\u2019s foreign ministry said it was in \u201cdeep shock\u201d on Monday after reporting that 16 of the country\u2019s citizens died in a factory fire in Saudi Arabia the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It reported \u201cthe tragic deaths of 16 Bangladeshi nationals in a fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh\u201d in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere were no injuries reported; all those affected died,\u201d the embassy said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dhaka\u2019s minister for expatriate welfare, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, said that there was \u201cconstant communication\u201d with local authorities through the Bangladeshi embassy in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOfficials 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bangladeshi embassy in Riyadh later said it remained in contact with the families of the deceased and was \u201ccoordinating with Saudi authorities on victim identification and repatriation formalities\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Around seven million Bangladeshis work overseas \u2014 the majority in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe necessary regulatory procedures were subsequently completed regarding the site,\u201d it said in a statement on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RIYADH(National Times)- Bangladesh\u2019s foreign ministry said it was in \u201cdeep shock\u201d on Monday after reporting that 16 of the country\u2019s citizens died in a factory fire in Saudi Arabia the day before. It reported \u201cthe tragic deaths of 16 Bangladeshi nationals in a fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh\u201d in a statement. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n