Riyadh, Oct 12 (V7N)- Two Bangladeshis were killed and 24 others injured in an attack on King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, according to the Bangladesh Embassy. The injured include 11 airport staff members and 13 Umrah pilgrims, who are receiving treatment at various hospitals in the city.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh confirmed the casualties in a statement issued on Sunday night. According to the embassy, a missile struck Terminal 3 of the airport at around 3:15 am on October 10, injuring passengers from several countries, including Bangladesh.

Initial reports put the overall toll at 12 killed and 309 injured. Two Bangladeshis were among the dead, while 24 Bangladeshi nationals were injured.

The deceased were identified as Shahed Ahmed from Bogra and Nasrullah Badarpuri from Comilla.

Injured Bangladeshis receiving hospital treatment

The embassy said three Bangladeshis—Hafez Hasan of Dhaka, Kazi Nurullah of Brahmanbaria and Omar Farooq, a Saudi expatriate worker—are being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of King Abdullah Hospital. Their conditions were reported to be stable.

At National Guard Hospital, Saffat Rahman of Naogaon and Daudul Islam of Comilla are receiving treatment. Saffat Rahman remains unconscious, according to the embassy.

Saimul Islam Sourav and Abul Mansur Md. Riaz Uddin, both from Dhaka, are being treated at Riyadh Medical Hospital. Md. Abdullah of Dhaka is receiving treatment at Prince Sultan Military Hospital.

Three Bangladeshi workers—Arman Hossain of Dhaka and two others identified as Mohammad and Faisal Ahmed Abdul Haque—are being treated in the ICU of Sulaiman Alhabib Hospital.

Rafiq Mia is receiving treatment at Kingdom Hospital, while Ismail Hossain, Misbah Uddin Hirak and Raihanul Islam are being treated at King Fahad Medical City.

Five Bangladeshi workers—Salma Akhter, Shahadat Hossain, Mosahid Ahmed Saikat, Zahid Ahmed and Sobhe Sadek Md. Shahjahan Sarkar—are receiving treatment at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz Hospital.

Asadul Islam and Md. Jamal are being treated at Aster Sanad Hospital, Najma Akhter at Sulaiman Fakih Hospital, and Umair and Abdullah Kamil at the Al-Sahafa branch of Sulaiman Alhabib Hospital.

Embassy arranges assistance for stranded passengers

The attack disrupted air travel, leaving around 500 Bangladeshi passengers and travelers waiting to transit through Riyadh stranded. The affected passengers included those heading to destinations within Saudi Arabia and other countries, as well as those waiting to return to Bangladesh.

The embassy said it had arranged accommodation, meals and alternative transportation for affected passengers.

Around 100 passengers who arrived from Bangladesh on Saudia Airlines flight SV804, Riyadh Air flight RX17 and US-Bangla Airlines flight US281 were waiting at Terminal 3 to continue their journeys to destinations across Saudi Arabia on Flynas, Flyadeal and Flyriyadh. They were accommodated at Marriott Hotel, Radisson Hotel and the Princess Nourah University dormitory.

Special buses were arranged to transport 67 Bangladeshi Umrah pilgrims wearing ihram garments from Riyadh to Jeddah.

The embassy also arranged alternative travel for around 400 Bangladeshi passengers affected by the cancellation of Saudia Airlines flight SV804 from Riyadh to Dhaka. They were to travel to Bangladesh from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

In addition, two Bangladeshi Saudia Airlines employees who were traveling from Riyadh to Bahrain received assistance to reach Bahrain through the Al Khobar land port.

END/SMA/AJ