Fire at Riyadh furniture factory kills 16 Bangladeshi workers

At least 16 Bangladeshi migrant workers were killed in a fire at a furniture factory in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, according to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The fire broke out on August 9 at a furniture manufacturing facility in the Musa Sanaya industrial area of Riyadh, Caliber.Az reports, citing Afghan media.

Bangladesh’s embassy is in contact with Saudi authorities to identify the victims and arrange the repatriation of their remains, the ministry said. The government has also ordered financial assistance for the families of those killed.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Saudi Arabia is the largest destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, with around 3.5 million Bangladeshi nationals living and working in the kingdom, most of them employed in construction, manufacturing and services, The Arab Weekly reported.

By Aghakazim Guliyev