Kuwait fire incident, At least 49 people were killed in a massive fire that broke out in a multi-storey building housing foreign worker in the Mangaf area of southern Kuwait. More than 40 Indians are said to be among the dead. The rest were citizens of Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt and Nepal. More than 50 people have also been injured during this period. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh reached Kuwait to oversee the aid to injured Indians and bring back the bodies of those killed. Here he inquired about the condition of the injured and met the concerned officials.
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait said in a post on the social media platform has reached Kuwait to coordinate with local authorities for the early return of 100,000 people to their homeland.
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait said in a post on social media platform ‘X’, on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has arrived in Kuwait to coordinate with the local authorities for relief efforts to those injured in the fire accident and for the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those killed in this unfortunate incident.
Before leaving for Kuwait, he said that some bodies were so burnt that they could not be identified. The rest of the situation will become clear when we reach there. Speaking to news agency ANI at Delhi airport, Kirti Vardhan said that we held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last evening. It’s this very sad tragedy. We are keeping an eye on every moment. The rest of the situation will become clear when we reach there.
#WATCH | The mortal remains of the Indian victims in the fire incident in #Kuwait arrive at #Cochin International Airport.
(🎥: ANI) pic.twitter.com/pUVjXRlwMq
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) June 14, 2024
When asked about the plan to bring back the bodies of those who lost their lives, he said the situation is that most of the victims are burnt and some bodies are so burnt that they cannot be identified. Therefore, DNA testing is being done to identify the victims. The Minister of State said that an Air Force aircraft is on standby. As soon as the bodies are identified, the relatives will be informed and our Air Force aircraft will bring back the bodies.
He said that according to the latest figures that came to us last night, the number of casualties is around 48-49, of which 42 or 43 are said to be Indians. Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait is in touch with the local authorities to provide relief to the people affected in the incident. The embassy has set up a helpline 965-65505246 (Whatsapp and regular calls) to contact the family members.
Kuwait‘s Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef Al Sabah ordered an investigation into the fire incident and issued instructions to arrest the owner and watchman of the Al-Mangaf building. Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also ordered authorities to investigate the massive fire and pledged to punish those responsible for the tragedy. The country’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah expressed condolences over the deaths and wished the injured a speedy recovery.