The identities of 24 Bangladeshis injured in a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi group on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh have been confirmed, in addition to the two Bangladeshis who were killed.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh is maintaining round-the-clock contact with hospital authorities to ensure proper treatment for those affected, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment said in a media statement.
Around 3:15pm on Saturday, a missile exploded over Terminal 3 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The attack killed 12 people of different nationalities and injured 309 others. Two Bangladeshis were among those killed, while 24 Bangladeshis were injured. Of the injured, 11 are expatriate workers and 13 are Umrah visa holders.
The ministry had earlier confirmed the identities of the two Bangladeshi fatalities.
One of them was Md Shahed Ahmed of Madla village in Shajahanpur Upazila, Bogura.
He worked as a plumber on the Jeddah project of Saad Al-Essa Contracting Company in Riyadh. Following his brother’s death, he had returned to Bangladesh on leave and was travelling back to his workplace in Jeddah via Riyadh.
The other victim was Md Nasrullah Badarpuri, an Umrah visa holder from Badarpur village in Nangalkot Upazila, Cumilla. He was waiting in transit in Riyadh before travelling on to Jeddah.
Injured Bangladeshis Receiving Treatment in Hospitals
Citing the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare said the 24 injured Bangladeshis are undergoing treatment at 11 hospitals in Riyadh:
King Abdullah Hospital (ICU): Hafez Hasan of Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, an Umrah pilgrim; Kazi Nurullah of Brahmanbaria Sadar, also an Umrah pilgrim; and Md Omar Faruk, an expatriate worker travelling to Jeddah for employment, are receiving treatment there. Embassy representatives have visited them, and their conditions are currently stable.
National Guard Hospital: Saffat Rahman, a resident of Raninagar in Naogaon, who remains unconscious, and Md Daudul Islam of Nangalkot, Cumilla, have been admitted there. Both were travelling on Umrah visas and were in transit.
Riyadh Medical Hospital: Md Saidul Islam Sourav of Lalbagh in Dhaka, and Abul Mansur Md Riaz Uddin of Mirpur are receiving treatment there.
Prince Sultan Military Hospital: Md Abdullah of Dhaka’s Demra, has been admitted there.
Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital-Takhassusi: Arman Hossain of Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, expatriate worker Mohammad, and worker Faisal Ahmad Abdul Haque are undergoing treatment there.
Kingdom Hospital: Expatriate worker Md Rafiq Mia has been admitted there.
King Fahad Medical City Hospital: Ismail Hossain, Md Misbah Uddin Hirak and expatriate worker Md Raihanul Islam are receiving treatment there.
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital: Five expatriate workers — Salma Akter, Md Shahadat Hossain, Moshahid Ahmed Saikat, Zahid Ahmed and Subhe Sadek Md Shahjahan Sarkar — are undergoing treatment there.
Aster Sanad Hospital: Expatriate workers Md Asadul Islam and Md Jamal are receiving treatment there.
Soliman Fakeeh Hospital: Nazma Akter has been admitted there.
Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital (Al Sahafa Branch): Umair and Abdullah Kamil are receiving treatment there.
Assistance for Stranded Bangladeshi Passengers
Following the attack, the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh stepped in to assist around 500 Bangladeshi passengers stranded at the airport and on domestic routes.
Embassy officials said accommodation had been arranged for 100 passengers at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel, Radisson Hotel and dormitories at Princess Nourah University. The passengers had been scheduled to travel on Saudia Airlines, Riyadh Air and US-Bangla Airlines from Terminal 3, as well as to destinations within Saudi Arabia.
In addition, 67 Umrah pilgrims wearing ihram were sent from Riyadh to Jeddah by special buses.
The embassy also said arrangements were being made to send around 400 passengers of the cancelled Saudia Airlines flight SV-804 back to Bangladesh via King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
Two workers travelling to Bahrain were also assisted in crossing through a land port.
Fourth Attack on the Airport
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis launched another attack on Riyadh airport on Sunday, marking the fourth phase of attacks on the facility. The attack caused a fire at the airport.
The Houthis had warned airlines and passengers to stay away from Saudi Arabian airports just hours before the attack.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported the development on Sunday. It also said Saudi air defences had intercepted a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport. No further details were immediately available.
Apart from Saturday’s attack, King Khalid International Airport had been targeted twice more over the past week. Four people were killed and several others injured in those two attacks. A Saudia Airlines aircraft was also extensively damaged.
Meanwhile, at least eight Saudi-bound flights from Bangladesh have been cancelled since the attack. The number could rise further as flight operations at Riyadh airport remain suspended.
Bangladesh has strongly condemned the attacks and the loss of civilian lives amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Dhaka reiterated its call for avoiding political conflict and returning to peace and dialogue.