Around 45 Indians were killed and over 50 were left injured after a massive fire broke out at a building in Kuwait. Following the fire at the Al-Mangaf building, which was housing foreign workers in Kuwait, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia relief amount for the families of the deceased and directed a team of the External Affairs Ministry to review the situation.
The fire broke out on Wednesday. As per reports, the fire at the Al-Mangaf building killed a total of 49 people, of which 45 were Indians and 3 were Filipino. Foreign workers are from Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, and Nepal were staying in the building.
Kuwait Fire: 42 Killed, Kuwaiti Emir Orders Probe | Top Points
The fire broke out at around 6 AM local time in the Mangaf area. While some residents evacuated, many died due to the inhalation of the smoke while they were asleep.
Among the 42 victims, 24 have been identified as natives of Kerala. Of this, 15 natives have been identified.
Taking this into notice, the Kerala Government conveyed an emergency meeting to discuss the repatriation of bodies and if state government representatives need to fly out to Kuwait to oversee relief efforts. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
After conducting a review on Wednesday night, PM Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratis relief amount of Rs 2 lakhs for all families of the deceased Indian nationals.
Furthermore, the prime minister directed a team from the External Affairs Ministry to visit Kuwait immediately to oversee relief measures and to ensure the return of the mortal remains of the deceased. The Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh will be travelling to Kuwait for the same.
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has also called for a probe into the cause of the fire. The emir has also vowed to hold those responsible for the fire which killed 49, accountable.
Kuwaiti Prime Minister and the Interior Minister has accused the building owners and stated that the fire was caused as a "result of the greed of the company and building owners".
One Nepali national was killed due to the fire whereas five others managed to escape the mishap. As per Kathmandu Post, two nationals sustained minor injuries and three were safe as they managed to escape the fire in time.
Following the fire, Kuwati authorities has intensified their inspections and as per Arab Times Kuwait, the Engineering Audit and Follow-up Department in the Farwaniya Governorate has shut down seven basements and issued 13 violations to multiple buildings.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, serving as the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Minister of Defence, said that authorities have identified 48 bodies, among which 45 are of Indians and three are of Filipino nationality, English language daily Arab Times reported. The efforts are still underway to determine the identity of one remaining body, said the first deputy prime minister.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said seven Tamils were among the dead in the Kuwait fire incident, and arrangements have been made to fly their mortal remains to Chennai. He also announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to each affected family.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who reached Kuwait this morning, separately met the Gulf nation's foreign minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Al-Sabah and Health Minister Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi.
Kuwaiti Fire Force said the deadly fire was caused by an "electrical circuit". In a press statement, it said the conclusion was arrived at after examination of the scene of the incident, Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported.
India on Thursday night is sending C-130J transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Kuwait to bring back mortal remains of 45 Indians.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. As per local media, the fire is likely to have been caused by a gas leak. More details will be released once the preliminary investigation is complete.
