Saudi fire kills 9 Bangladeshis

Nine Bangladesh nationals among 11 were burnt to death in a fire that broke out in a furniture-manufacturing factory at Shifa Sanaya in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday night.
“Nine of the deceased are Bangladeshis,” Bangladesh Ambassador in Riyadh M Shahidul Islam said.
He said the identities of the victims are yet to be ascertained as the bodies were charred badly. “It’s very difficult to identify them.”
The envoy, however, said a Bangladeshi fellow – Abdul Hannan – who used to stay with the workers, died in the inferno, and was present during the fire incident identified the victims. “We’re verifying the identities,” said Ambassador Shahidul Islam mentioning that the victims are mostly from Comilla.
UNB Comilla correspondent says the seven victims from Comilla are Mohammad Shahjalal, 36, son of Haji Rustom Ali, M Abdul Gaffar, 35, son of Nurul Islam, M Selim, 37, son of Ramjan Ali, Bahauddin, 27, son of M Ismail Hossain, Nazir Hossain, 32, son of Jamsher Ali, M Motiur Rahman, 33, son of Abdul Karim and M Shah Alam, 35, son of Habibur Rahman.
As the news of their deaths spread quickly over mobile phones, hundreds of relatives and neighbours rushed to the victims’ village homes in Comilla district and tried to console them. Two other victims are Zakir Hossain of Feni and Akkas of Madaripur, while the rest two victims are Indians.
The fire broke out in the factory – Titas Furniture – around 10:30pm (Saudi time) where 15 workers, 13 from Bangladesh and two from India, were working at that time.
Officials at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh visited the accident site as well as hospital.
Four Bangladesh nationals – Abdul Hannan, Manikganj, Dulal, Comilla, Raju, Comilla and Masud, Comilla – luckily escaped the inferno, said Second Secretary (Labour), Bangladesh Embassy, Riyadh M Mizanur Rahman.
Though the Titas Factory is owned by a Saudi citizen, Bangladeshi workers Raju and his brother Moinul used to operate the factory, said Mizanur Rahman in a report sent on Tuesday evening.
Raju remained absconding since the fire incident while Moinul, hailing from Kalipur village Comilla, is at home, he said.
The bodies of the victims have been kept in a hospital mortuary and would soon be sent back to Bangladesh on completion of necessary formalities, according to UNB.