16 Bangladeshi workers die in Saudi factory fire

A devastating fire at a sofa factory in Saudi Arabia has claimed the lives of at least 16 Bangladeshi migrant workers. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Musa Sanaiya Industrial Zone, located approximately 20 kilometers south of Riyadh.

According to the Ministry of Welfare of Expatriates and Overseas Employment of Bangladesh, all 17 workers inside the factory at the time of the fire were Bangladeshi nationals. Tragically, 16 of them were found dead at the scene. One worker was reportedly outside the facility when the fire broke out.

Nurul Amin, spokesperson for the Bangladeshi Embassy in Riyadh, confirmed the fatalities. The governments of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are collaborating to identify the deceased workers. Their bodies will be repatriated to Bangladesh once the identification process is complete.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury, the Minister of Welfare of Expatriates and Overseas Employment, expressed deep sorrow over the "premature and tragic death" of the workers, emphasizing their significant contribution to Bangladesh's economy. He extended his condolences to the families of the victims. Saudi Arabia hosts the largest population of Bangladeshi migrant workers globally, with an estimated 3.5 million working legally in the country, contributing substantially to Bangladesh's GDP through remittances.