Seven Bangladeshis, including a woman and children, have been killed in a tragic road accident in Saudi Arabia while travelling from the holy city of Madinah to Jeddah.
All seven victims were residents of Chakaria upazila in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh, although their detailed identities could not be immediately confirmed.
According to sources, all the deceased were associated with Al Abeer Cold Stores Trading Company in Saudi Arabia.
Nuruzzaman, marketing manager of the company, provided information that the accident occurred at around 2am local time on Friday on the way from Madinah to Jeddah.
The deceased have been identified as Ziaur Rahman, storekeeper of the company, his two sons and one daughter; the wife of Elias, forklift driver; and Alam Shah, storekeeper working in Makkah, along with his one-month-old daughter.
Relevant sources said that while all the victims were from Chakaria upazila in Cox’s Bazar district, it has not been confirmed which union or village in the upazila they belonged to, or whether they were from the same locality.
Chakaria upazila administration has also been unable to obtain detailed information regarding the deceased, and efforts are under way to trace their identities and addresses.
Shaheen Delowar, upazila executive officer (UNO), said he learned of the incident through the media but has not yet received official confirmation.
He added that he could not ascertain which union of Chakaria the victims resided in, but local residents and Chakaria expatriates living in Saudi Arabia have been requested to gather details, although no significant information has been received so far.
Following the crash, the bodies of the deceased are currently kept in the morgue of a government hospital in Madinah.
The actual cause of the accident and date for repatriating the bodies to Bangladesh remain unknown.
Multiple sources said the Bangladesh consulate in Saudi Arabia is attempting to collect information regarding the deceased and will provide overall cooperation to bring the bodies back home.
