6 Bangladeshi Killed in South Africa

At least six Bangladeshi expatriates were killed and another was critically injured in a devastating fire at a shop in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa early Monday (July 27).

The incident occurred at around 3:00 AM in the Somo area, located approximately 150 kilometers from Queenstown (now Komani). Seven Bangladeshi nationals were sleeping in an administrative-residential room inside the shop when the fire suddenly broke out, claiming six lives on the spot. The surviving individual was rescued with severe injuries and admitted to Queenstown Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Local sources indicate that all seven individuals hail from the Kurugeshwar area of Kutubpur Union under Fatullah Upazila in Narayanganj district. Four of the deceased have been identified as Md. Faisal (25), Md. Fahim (28), Shamim Hasan (30), and Mohammad Apon (24). The identities of the remaining two victims are yet to be officially confirmed.

Local police have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the blaze, which remains unknown. The tragedy has cast a shadow of grief over the Bangladeshi expatriate community in South Africa, with various diaspora organizations expressing condolences and mourning the deceased.

Fire incidents have repeatedly claimed the lives of Bangladeshi nationals in South Africa in recent years. On October 20, 2018, four Bangladeshis—including three members of the same family from Feni—died in a shop fire in Brits, North West Province. Additionally, on October 30, 2024, two Bangladeshi expatriates lost their lives in a commercial complex fire in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.