Seven Bangladeshis Killed in Saudi Road Crash Identified

Seven Bangladeshi nationals were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Saudi Arabia early Saturday.

The accident occurred at around 2am on Saturday at Al-Himnah, while the victims were travelling from Madinah to Jeddah, a senior official said.

Of the seven deceased, four were members of Ziaur Rahman's family, two belonged to Alam Shah's family and one was from Elias's family.

Ziaur Rahman, his daughter Bushra and two sons, Yasir and Yazan, died in the accident. His wife, Shakira, sustained injuries and is receiving treatment at Khulais General Hospital, northwest of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. Their other daughter, Yusra, is being treated at King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah.

The bodies of Ziaur Rahman and his three children have been kept at Al-Himnah General Hospital.

In Alam Shah's family, his wife, Sanjida, and daughter, Fariar, were killed. Their bodies are being kept at Al-Himnah General Hospital and Khulais General Hospital, respectively.

Alam Shah sustained injuries but was discharged after receiving medical treatment. His son, Faisal, is currently undergoing treatment at East Jeddah Hospital.

From Elias's family, his wife, Afsana Bibi, was killed, while Elias himself was injured. He was discharged from Al-Himnah Hospital after receiving treatment. His wife's body has been kept at Khulais General Hospital.

Another injured passenger, Gafur Alam, is receiving treatment at Khulais General Hospital.

Afsana Bibi had travelled to Saudi Arabia just a few days earlier to perform Umrah.

According to a preliminary report from the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah, all 13 victims belonged to three Bangladeshi families from Cox's Bazar district. Four of them were employees of Al-Abir Company, while the remaining victims were their family members, the report stated.

The consulate took immediate action after receiving information about the accident. Its Labour Counsellor, accompanied by a legal assistant, visited the Khulais Traffic Office and held discussions with the concerned officials to collect information about the incident.

Preliminary findings by Saudi traffic authorities indicate that the vehicle was being driven by a Pakistani national at an estimated speed of 160 kilometres per hour. The driver reportedly lost control of the car, causing it to overturn.

However, the driver claimed that a tyre burst had caused the accident, according to the report.

The exact cause of the crash will be established once the authorities complete their investigation and publish the final report.