Seven Indian workers in Hail died in their sleep early yesterday when their warehouse and residence caught fire.

The bodies of the victims — beyond recognition — were retrieved from the rubble. Six of their coworkers managed to escape the blaze. The seven have been identified as Lalu, Shiju, Jaisan, Zainalabdeen, Kuttan, Siddique and Lateef. Six of them are from Kerala and one from Uttar Pradesh. Two bodies were shifted to King Khaled Hospital, while five bodies are at Hail General Hospital.

According to reports quoting Capt. Abdul Raheem Johani, Civil Defense received a distress call late at night. It dispatched ambulances, firefighting units and rescue officials to the scene. However, their efforts were hampered because the warehouse is located in an old area and the building contained inflammable material. An Indian Embassy official confirmed the deaths.