At least seven Bangladeshi migrant workers were killed and 15 others injured in a road crash in Jizan province of Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning.

The accident took place when a vehicle hit a truck from behind in Shanta area of Jizan at around 7:00am. The truck was carrying 22 Bangladeshis, among other nationals, who were on their way to work, said Aminul Islam, labour counsellor of Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah.

He did not provide identities of the deceased and injured to avoid confusion since he only received their names and fathers' names from the traffic department and not their addresses in Bangladesh.

The consulate general has sent an official to Jizan to obtain details of the deceased and injured, and their identities will be provided after the official gets their passports, he said.

"The dead bodies are kept at the mortuary of a local hospital and the injured are undergoing treatment," Aminul told The Daily Star from Jeddah by phone yesterday evening.

The Bangladeshis, employed by Messrs Fahaad Company, a cleaning company, were working for a government project in Jizan, 800 kilometres from Jeddah, near Yemen border.

“The deceased and the injured are covered by insurance. We will arrange compensation for them," the official said.  

Our correspondent from Narsingdi reports: One of the deceased is Amir Hossain, 50, son of late Abul Kalam of Baushia village under Karimpur union of Narsingdi.

Amir, father of a son and two daughters, first went to Saudi Arabia eight years ago and was the sole wage earner of the family. He left behind his 70-year old mother, wife Shahana Begum, son Rabiul, 17, two daughters -- Shamsunnahar, 14, and Sabina, 10.

"We were completely dependent on him for the treatment cost of my mother-in-law, my children's education, our food etc. I am devastated. I don't know how this family will be run now," Shahana, 46, told The Daily Star.

Amir had told her that he would be visiting home on February 5. "But he is never coming back now."