Kuwait fire claims lives of over 40 Indian nationals

In one of the worst building fires in Kuwait’s history, over 40 Indians have been killed when a massive blaze broke out early on June 12 in a building in the southern part of Kuwait, leading to the deaths of 49 people and injuring 50 others, according to media reports.

The fire broke out in the kitchen of a six-story building housing around 195 migrant workers in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area.

So far, 49 people have been killed in the Al-Mangaf building, in which 42 of them are said to be Indians while the rest are Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Nepali nationals.

The exact cause of the fire is not yet known. According to a preliminary investigation, an inflammable material was used as partitions between apartments and also between rooms, which caused the huge black clouds of smoke, Col Sayed Al-Mousawi, Head of Investigations at Kuwait Fire Department was quoted as saying by Kuwait Times.

Many of the victims suffocated while trying to run down the stairs because they were filled with smoke, he added.

“In an unfortunate and tragic fire incident earlier today in a Labour housing facility in the Mangaf area of Kuwait, around 40 Indians are understood to have died and over 50 injured,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences over the incident and held an urgent meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, and Principal Secretary to the PM PK Mishra to review the situation.

He has also announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM relief fund.

Minister of State for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh left for Kuwait following the PM’s direction to oversee assistance to the injured Indians and to ensure the early repatriation of the mortal remains of the dead.

Before leaving for Kuwait, the MoS said that some of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition. “DNA tests are being conducted to identify the victims. Many of the bodies are severely burned and charred beyond recognition, necessitating these tests for proper identification.” He further mentioned, “An Air Force plane is on standby. Once the identifications are complete, families will be notified, and the Air Force plane will transport the bodies back to India. The rest of the situation will become clear once we arrive there.”

Earlier, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait had launched a helpline number for the families of Indians to get in touch with local authorities. Indians constitute 21% (1 million) of the total population of Kuwait and 30% of its workforce (approx 9 lakhs).

Meanwhile, Deputy PM Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah ordered the arrest of the building's owner and janitor along with the owner of the company.

Sheikh Fahad also blamed “the company's and building owners' greed” for the fire. He also called for immediate action against similar violations in the city to ensure that all safety requirements are taken to prevent such incidents in the future.