Kuwait Fire Tragedy: India sent a military transport aircraft to Kuwait on Thursday to retrieve the mortal remains of over 40 Indians killed in a devastating fire in a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities said they identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipinos who died in the fire. The fire claimed the lives of at least 49 migrant workers and injured another 50.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

According to officials in Delhi, the Indian Air Force's C-130J transport aircraft will bring back bodies on Friday, landing first in Kochi because the majority of the deceased Indians were from Kerala. The aircraft is expected to arrive in Delhi because some of the Indians killed were from a few north Indian states.


Several Arrested Including Kuwaiti Citizen


A Kuwaiti citizen and several foreigners were arrested on Thursday on charges of manslaughter and causing injuries as a result of negligent security and safety measures following a fire in the Gulf Kingdom that killed 49 people, including 45 Indians.

On Wednesday, a fire broke out at the seven-story building where 196 migrant workers were staying in the southern city of Mangaf, killing at least 49 and injuring 50 more.

"The Public Prosecution has mandated the provisional detention of a Kuwaiti citizen and several expats in connection with charges of manslaughter and causing injuries due to negligence in security and safety measures, following a fire incident in the Al-Mangaf area," the Arabic-language daily Arab Times reported.


Short Circuit Behind Kuwait Fire Tragedy


According to the Kuwaiti Fire Force, the deadly fire was caused by a "electrical circuit". The conclusion was reached following an examination of the incident scene, Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported.

Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Minister of Defence, stated that authorities have identified 48 bodies, 45 of which are Indian and three of which are Filipino, according to the English-language daily Arab Times.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh arrived in Kuwait this morning and met with the country's foreign minister, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Al-Sabah, and health minister, Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi.


Prime Minister Modi met with NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, PM PK Mishra's principal secretary, S Jaishankar, and other officials last night to discuss the situation. After the meeting, the prime minister instructed the government to provide all assistance possible and announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the Indian nationals who had died.

Over the phone, the minister of external affairs urged Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, his counterpart in Kuwait, to expedite the repatriation of the deceased individuals' mortal remains.