Separate fire incidents in the last two years have claimed the lives of 26 Bangladeshis working in Bahrain.
Friday’s blaze in Manama that killed three was the third tragedy to hit one of Bahrain’s biggest expatriate communities since 2012, according to Gulf Daily News.
According to latest figures, there are 3,000 registered labour camps in Bahrain, housing 138,000 workers. There are around 80,000 Bangladeshis living in the small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf.
Ten Bangladeshis were killed in a blaze on May 27, 2012 in a makeshift labour camp located in East Riffa’s residential area.
Another 13 Bangladeshis died on January 12 last year in a fire at a building located in Mukharqa in Manama the second deadliest fire in Bahrain’s history. More than 160 people lived in the three-storey building, which had 27 illegally constructed rooms.
Bangladesh Embassy Labour Counsellor Mohammed Islam said the deceased had continued to put their lives at risk despite awareness campaigns on safety measures.
“Our people are putting their own lives at risk by living in dilapidated or makeshift houses to save some money,” he said. The official said they were waiting for the Bahrain authorities to complete investigations.
