RIYADH - Bangladesh says at least 16 of its nationals were killed in a sofa-factory fire in the Saudi capital.

The deaths were announced on Monday following the Sunday, Aug. 9 fire, according to a Times of India report citing Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry. The blaze was reported to have broken out at about 3:30 p.m. local time before spreading rapidly through the factory.

Officials from the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh went to the scene after receiving information about the fire and began coordinating with Saudi authorities. The ministry said embassy officials were working to identify the dead and complete the formalities needed to repatriate their bodies to Bangladesh.

The report did not identify the victims or give a cause for the fire. Bangladesh’s foreign minister and minister of state for foreign affairs expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Saudi Arabia was Bangladesh’s top overseas employment destination in 2025. Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training data reported by BSS show that 752,715 Bangladeshis went to the kingdom for jobs during the year, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s importance to Bangladesh’s overseas employment flows.

The Bangladesh Embassy’s Labour Wing handles death registration for Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia and assists with procedures involving local authorities and sponsors. Its services include support for burial or transportation of mortal remains to Bangladesh and issuance of no-objection certificates for those arrangements.

Times of India quoted the Bangladesh Embassy as saying it was working on “confirming the identities of the deceased, completing legal formalities, and providing comprehensive assistance to the affected individuals.”