At least six Bangladeshi nationals were killed and another seriously injured in a devastating fire that broke out at a shop in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province late Monday night.

The incident occurred in the Samo area, approximately 150 kilometers from Queenstown (now Komani), at around 3:00 am on July 27, according to local sources.

The victims were reportedly asleep in a residential room inside the shop when the fire suddenly engulfed the building. Six Bangladeshis died at the scene, while another sustained severe burn injuries and was rescued before being admitted to Queenstown Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

The identities of four of the deceased have been confirmed as Md. Faisal (25), Md. Fahim (28), Shamim Hasan (30), and Mohammad Apon (24). The identities of the remaining two victims have yet to be established.

Local sources said all of the victims were residents of Kurugeshwar area under Kutubpur Union in Fatullah Upazila of Narayanganj district, Bangladesh.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. South African police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The tragedy has cast a shadow of grief over the Bangladeshi expatriate community in South Africa. Several expatriate organizations have expressed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased.

This is not the first such tragedy involving Bangladeshi migrants in South Africa. On October 20, 2018, four Bangladeshis—including three members of the same family from Daganbhuiyan Upazila in Feni district—were killed in a shop fire in Brits, North West Province. More recently, on October 30, 2024, two Bangladeshi nationals lost their lives in a fire at a commercial complex in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province.