Kathmandu. At least 16 Bangladeshi nationals have died in a fire at a sofa factory in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and was coordinating with Saudi authorities to provide necessary assistance to the families of the victims.

A fire broke out at a sofa factory in Riyadh’s Musa Sanaiya area on Sunday. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that all those killed in the incident were Bangladeshi nationals.

The Ministry has expressed deep sorrow to the deceased and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. “The government stands with the families of the deceased in this difficult situation and is committed to provide all necessary assistance,” the ministry said.

Officials from the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the incident. “We are coordinating with the Saudi authorities to confirm the identity of those killed in the fire and initiate the necessary legal process for the transfer of the bodies,” the embassy said in a statement.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh has sent a team to gather more details and provide assistance to those affected. According to the Embassy, works are being done with priority to confirm the identity of the deceased, complete the legal formalities and make necessary facilitation to the victims’ families.

The embassy said in a statement on social media that it was “deeply saddened” that an expatriate Bangladeshi national was killed in a fire in the Musa Sanaiya area of Riyadh. A delegation of the embassy immediately reached the incident site after receiving information about the incident and started collecting details of the incident, the Embassy said.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation. “We are coordinating with the relevant Saudi authorities to identify the deceased and complete other legal procedures,” the ministry said.

A large number of Bangladeshi nationals are employed in Saudi Arabia. The latest incident in Riyadh has brought the issue of workplace safety of migrant workers and their protection in case of emergencies into the spotlight.