At least 16 Bangladeshi expatriate workers were killed in a major fire at a sofa manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, according to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The blaze broke out in an industrial area under the jurisdiction of Al Shifa district, where the factory was located. Authorities are continuing efforts to verify the identities of the victims and determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Preliminary information provided by the ministry indicates that most of the victims were from Bangladesh’s Naogaon district. Thirteen of the deceased were reportedly from Atrai upazila, while two were from Naldanga upazila in Natore district and one was from Bagmara upazila in Rajshahi district.

Officials said the identification process is ongoing in coordination with relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia. The ministry noted that additional details, including the cause of the fire and any further casualty information, would be released once investigations progress.

The deadly incident has sent shockwaves through the affected communities in Bangladesh, many of which rely heavily on remittances from family members working abroad.

Saudi authorities have not yet publicly announced the cause of the fire, and an investigation into the incident is expected to continue in the coming days.

Bangladesh is one of the largest sources of migrant labor in Saudi Arabia, with hundreds of thousands of workers employed across the kingdom in manufacturing, construction and service sectors.