49 people died in fire in Kuwait, including 41 Indians, many people were burnt so badly that they could not be identified: Minister
41 Indians died in a massive fire in a building in Kuwait, taking the total number of dead to 49 on Wednesday. Many of these Indians were later identified, while some bodies were so badly burnt that it became difficult to identify them.
The death toll in a massive fire that broke out in a six-storey building in Kuwait on Wednesday morning has risen to 49, while more than 50 people have been injured. According to officials, More than 40 Indians were among the victimsThe building where the fire broke out housed foreign workers.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, who briefed him on the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities following the fire. Officials said most of the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation while people were asleep and a large number of people were evacuated.
Kuwait building fire: Latest news
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A fire broke out in a building housing foreign workers in Kuwait on Wednesday morning, killing at least 49 people, 41 of them Indian nationals aged between 20 and 50. India’s foreign ministry said more than 50 people were also injured in the blaze. Local officials said the cause of the fire appeared to be a breach of code of conduct, the Associated Press reported.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on Wednesday night and urged him to ensure early repatriation of the remains of those killed in the massive fire that broke out in the Mangaf area of southern Kuwait.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “tragic” and reviewed the situation by holding a meeting with S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra. After the meeting, the Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian citizens from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and directed that the government should provide all possible assistance.
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Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh today said he was leaving for Kuwait immediately. He also said some of the bodies were so burnt that they could not be identified. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti authorities are conducting DNA tests on the bodies of those killed and an Indian Air Force plane is ready to bring back the bodies of Indians killed in the incident.
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Many of the Indian victims of the deadly fire in Kuwait have been identified as Akash S Nair (32), Chennaseril Saju Varghese (65), Akash (23), Srihari Pradeep, Lukose (48), Sajan George (29), Kelu Ponmaleri, Ranjith (34), Shemeer, Stephin Abraham Sabu (29), Binoy Thomas, Shibu Varghese (38) and Vishwas Krishna (34).
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Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Wednesday ordered authorities to investigate the incident and vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the tragedy. In a condolence message sent to the families of the victims of the fire incident in Mangaf, the Emir expressed his deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
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Indian Ambassador Adarsh Swaika visited the site of the fire and later visited hospitals, including Al-Adan Hospital, where more than 30 Indian workers were admitted. He met several patients and assured them of full support from the embassy. The hospital authorities informed that almost all of them are stable, the mission said.
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The fire broke out just before 6 am (local time). The building is rented by the NBTC Group. Five firefighters were injured during the rescue operation. Officials told PTI that the fire broke out in the kitchen of the building in Mangaf area of Kuwait’s southern Ahmadinejad province. They said the building reportedly housed 195 people, who are employees of the same company. Apart from Indians, those killed in the fire included Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Nepali nationals.
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The Indian Embassy in Kuwait issued an emergency number following the fire incident.
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Witnesses quoted by local media reported that many victims suffered from suffocation due to the blockage of ground passages inside the building. They said the blockage hindered the movement of residents and made it even more difficult to quickly exit the building. One eyewitness recalled an incident in which a resident worker jumped from the fifth floor and tragically died after hitting the edge of a balcony.
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