New Delhi: Forty-nine people, most of them Indians, were killed in Kuwait’s Mangaf city after a fire broke out in a building that housed workers.
India’s external affairs ministry said in a press release on Wednesday (June 12) night that it believed around 40 of the deceased were Indians.
Fifty other Indians suffered injuries and were being treated in five hospitals in Kuwait, the ministry said, adding that according to hospital officials, most admitted patients were in a stable condition.
According to Manorama, around 195 workers were housed in the six-storey building and several of them were from Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The building belongs to the NBTC group owned by Malayali businessman K.G. Abraham.
It reported that the fire occurred because a cooking gas cylinder in the building’s ground floor exploded.
The incident was reported to local authorities at 6 am local time (8:30 am IST), the Times of India quoted Major General Eid Rashed Hamad of Kuwait as saying.
“The building in which the fire occurred was used to house workers, and there was a large number of workers there. Dozens were rescued, but unfortunately, there were many deaths as a result of inhaling smoke from the fire,” another senior police commander told state TV.
The BBC reported that there have been suggestions the building may have been overcrowded.
The external affairs ministry said on X (formerly Twitter) that Kirti Vardhan Singh, one of the ministry’s junior ministers, was travelling to Kuwait to oversee assistance to the injured and to coordinate with local authorities so that the remains of those who died are returned to India soon.
Adarsh Swaika, India’s ambassador to Kuwait, visited hospitals where those injured from the fire were being treated, India’s embassy in the country said on X. Swaika also visited the site of the fire.
The embassy has established a helpline number in connection with the incident.
Condoling the deaths, Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said the Indian embassy in Kuwait would offer fullest assistance to affected families.
“Deeply shocked by the news of the fire incident in Kuwait city. There are reportedly over 40 deaths and over 50 have been hospitalized. Our Ambassador has gone to the camp. We are awaiting further information. Deepest condolences to the families of those who tragically lost their lives. Wish early and full recovery to those who have been injured. Our Embassy will render the fullest assistance to all concerned in this regard,” said Jaishankar on X.
Deeply shocked by the news of the fire incident in Kuwait city. There are reportedly over 40 deaths and over 50 have been hospitalized. Our Ambassador has gone to the camp. We are awaiting further information.
Deepest condolences to the families of those who tragically lost…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 12, 2024
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the mishap was “saddening”. His office announced Rs 2 lakh as an ex gratia payment to be disbursed from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the families of the deceased Indians.
Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, ordered an investigation into the fire and vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the incident, PTI cited him as saying.
Offering his condolences, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the condition of Indian workers in the Middle East was “a serious matter of concern”, adding that the government must “prioritise the safety of our citizens and ensure dignified living standards”.
Another Congress leader, K.C. Venugopal, said the incident was a “stark reminder of the appalling conditions in which Indian labourers live in the Middle East”.
Human rights groups have regularly expressed their concern over the conditions in which foreign labourers – which Kuwait depends on heavily – live in the country, the BBC reported.
