“Kuwait fire tragedy: Out of the 176 Indian workers in the housing facility that caught fire, 45 died and 33 were hospitalized,” the Indian embassy reported.
New Delhi: An Air Force aircraft has brought the bodies of 45 Indians who perished in a devastating fire in Kuwait to Kerala. The plane’s next destination is Delhi.
Gonda MP Kirti Vardhan Singh, who had to travel to Kuwait immediately after assuming his role as a junior minister in the foreign ministry, was also on the aircraft, according to the Indian embassy.
A massive fire broke out in a six-story building in Mangaf City on Wednesday, claiming at least 48 lives. “Out of the 176 Indian workers in the housing facility, 45 died and 33 were hospitalized,” the embassy said. The others are reportedly safe.
The victims include 23 from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three from Uttar Pradesh, two from Odisha, and one each from Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Haryana.
Mr. Singh arrived in Kuwait on Thursday and visited five hospitals where injured Indian workers received treatment. “They will be discharged progressively depending on their health,” the embassy said, citing hospital authorities.
During his visit, the minister also met the First Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, who assured him of full support and assistance in the early repatriation of the bodies.
The bodies were charred beyond recognition, necessitating DNA testing to confirm the victims’ identities, the minister stated yesterday. Authorities have identified 48 bodies, of which 45 are Indians and three are Filipinos, Mr. Al-Sabah said in a report.
