Kuwaiti authorities confirmed the identification of the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals who tragically lost their lives in a fire.The incident took place in a building that housed foreign workers. Kuwait has promised a swift investigation and full support for the repatriation of the victims’ remains.
The devastating fire, which occurred on Wednesday, claimed the lives of at least 49 foreign workers and injured 50 others. The blaze erupted in a seven-story building in Mangaf, where 196 migrant workers resided.
Kuwaiti authorities are conducting DNA tests to ascertain the identities of those killed in the fire. An Indian Air Force aircraft is on standby to repatriate the mortal remains of the deceased Indians, according to officials in New Delhi.
Singh promptly arrived in Kuwait to oversee the aid provided to the injured Indians and to expedite the repatriation process of the deceased’s mortal remains. During his visit, he met with Kuwait’s foreign minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, who assured full support and a thorough investigation into the tragedy.
Later, he met with deputy PM Sheikh Fahad, who conveyed condolences on behalf of the Emir and assured necessary assistance and support. Singh conveyed greetings from PM Narendra Modi to the Emir and thanked the Kuwaiti leadership for their proactive assistance.
It was announced that Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, has directed the distribution of financial assistance to the families of the deceased. The quantum of compensation wasn’t disclosed. Additionally, the Emir has prepared military aircraft to repatriate the bodies of the deceased Indians back home.
Sheikh Fahad is spearheading an inspection campaign targeting illegal properties in various areas of Kuwait. He said that any building violations will be addressed without prior warning from Thursday onwards.
“As of Thursday, the Municipality and its teams will respond to all violations at all apartment buildings without prior warning,” he said while inspecting the fire site. He added that the owner of the affected building will remain in custody until the fire’s causes are fully investigated.
According to Col Sayed Al-Mousawi, head of investigations at Kuwait fire department, the team investigating the fire found that inflammable material used as partitions between apartments and rooms contributed to the smoke and that many victims suffocated while trying to escape down the smoke-filled stairs. Additionally, they could not seek refuge on the rooftop because the door was locked.
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India sending C-130J aircraft to bring back mortal remains of Indians
India is sending a military transport aircraft to Kuwait to bring back the mortal remains of over 40 Indians who perished in a fire.
Officials in Delhi confirmed that a C-130J transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force will bring back the bodies on Friday. The aircraft will first land in Kochi since most of the deceased are from Kerala.
After Kochi, the aircraft is expected to reach Delhi to accommodate the return of some of the deceased who are from a few north Indian states, officials said.
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TN, Kerala to give Rs 5 lakh each to families of deceased
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has announced a relief of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of 7 people from the state who died in a Kuwait fire accident. The central government as well as the Kerala government have also announced similar relief funds.
Meanwhile, chairman of UAE-based Lulu Group M. A. Yusuff Ali, an NRI businessman, also announced Rs 5 lakh each as relief for the families of the deceased in the tragic Kuwait fire tragedy.
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