Seven Bangladeshis from same district killed in Saudi road accident, six injured

Seven Bangladeshi nationals from three families of the same district have been killed in a terrible road accident in Saudi Arabia. Six more people were injured in the accident. All 13 of the victims are originally from Cox's Bazar district. The Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah officially confirmed the information on Saturday night, local time.

According to the consulate, the victims met with the accident in the Al-Himna area while returning from Madinah to Jeddah. The accident occurred at around 2am local time on Friday (6 November).

Of the seven dead, four were from the family of Ziaur Rahman, two from the family of Alam Shah and one from the family of Mohammad Ilias. In this tragic incident, Ziaur Rahman, his two sons Yasir and Iyazan, and his daughter Bushra lost their lives.

The other dead were Sanjida, the wife of Alam Shah, and their daughter Faria. Among them, Faria was a baby girl only one month old. Afsana Bibi, the wife of Mohammad Ilias, who had come to Saudi Arabia a few days ago to perform Umrah, also died in the accident.

All of the dead were residents of Chakaria upazila in Cox's Bazar. They were living in Saudi Arabia for work. Four of the victims were employed at the Al-Abir company in Saudi Arabia. Ziaur Rahman was a storekeeper at the company, Ilias was a forklift driver, and Alam Shah was a storekeeper working in Makkah. The identities of the dead were confirmed from information given by Nuruzzaman, the marketing manager of the company.

Six more people were injured in the accident. Shakira, the wife of Ziaur Rahman, is being treated at Khulais General Hospital, and their other daughter Yusra is being treated at King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Jeddah. Alam Shah was discharged after primary treatment, but his son Faisal is currently under treatment at East Jeddah Hospital. Ilias returned from hospital after primary treatment. Another injured Bangladeshi, Gafur Alam, is under treatment at Khulais General Hospital.

The consulate's preliminary report said the bodies of the dead have been kept in the morgues of Al-Himna General Hospital and Khulais General Hospital.

The preliminary investigation found that the vehicle involved in the accident was being driven by a Pakistani driver. At the moment of the accident, the vehicle was travelling at about 160 kilometres per hour. The traffic department's preliminary view is that the vehicle overturned after the driver lost control because of excessive speed, although the driver claims a burst tyre caused the accident.

The consulate is awaiting the investigation and the final report of the authorities concerned to know the actual cause of the accident. The consulate took the necessary steps as soon as it received news of the accident.

Immediately after the incident, officials of the labour wing of the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah visited the local traffic office and the hospitals. The consulate's counsellor (labour) visited the Khulais traffic office with a legal assistant. The necessary diplomatic steps have been taken to send the bodies of the dead home quickly and to ensure proper treatment for the injured.

The deaths of seven Bangladeshis in the same accident have caused deep grief among their relatives, colleagues and Bangladeshi expatriates living in Saudi Arabia. As several members of the same families were among the dead, the burden of grief on the relatives has grown heavier. The relatives are still waiting for the bodies of those who lost their lives to be brought home and handed over to the families.