Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting on the fire tragedy in Kuwait in which more than 40 Indian nationals killed and over 50 were injured. The meeting was held at his official residence in New Delhi. The Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar, the Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Kirtivardhan Singh, Principal Secretary to PM Shri Pramod Kumar Mishra, National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Shri Vinay Kwatra and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
The Prime Minister expressed his deep sorrow at the unfortunate incident and extended condolences to the families of the deceased. He wished speedy recovery of those injured. He also announced ex- gratia relief of Rupees 2 lakh to the families of the deceased India nationals from Prime Minister Relief Fund.
MOS External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to visit Kuwait
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi directed his government to extend all possible assistance. He also asked MOS External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to immediately travel to Kuwait to oversee the relief measures and facilitate expeditious repatriation of the mortal remains. "As directed by PM @narendramodi, MoS for External Affairs @KVSinghMPGonda is urgently travelling to Kuwait to oversee assistance to those injured in the fire tragedy and to coordinate with local authorities for early repatriation of mortal remains of those who have died in this unfortunate incident," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Adarsh Swaika visited the site of a devastating fire incident, followed by inspections at various hospitals where over 50 injured Indian workers are receiving treatment. The hospitals he visited included Al-Adan Hospital, Farwaniya Hospital, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, and Jahra Hospital. This visit underscores the gravity of the situation and the commitment of the Indian authorities to ensure the well-being of their citizens abroad.
Kuwait vows accountability in fire tragedy
In response to the tragedy, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, issued a directive on Wednesday for a thorough investigation into the massive fire. He emphasised the importance of accountability and vowed that those responsible for the incident would be held liable. Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah condoled the deaths and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Tragic fire in Kuwait kills 49 workers
It is pertinenet to mention here that the massive fire engulfed a multi-storey building in Kuwait housing foreign workers early on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than 50 others. Most deaths were due to smoke inhalation while residents were sleeping, and a significant number of occupants were evacuated, acording to officials. The fire started in a kitchen in the six-storey building in the Mangaf area in Kuwait's southern Ahmadi Governorate, officials said, adding that the building reportedly had 195 people living in it, who are workers of the same company.
(With inputs from agencies)
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