Kuwait fire: Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who flew to Kuwait on Thursday morning, met victims of those injured in the Kuwait fire tragedy. Singh, after reaching the hospital where the injured had been admitted, said all were safe. "On the directions of PM @narendramodiji, MoS @KVSinghMPGonda arrived in Kuwait and immediately rushed to Jaber hospital to ascertain well being of injured Indians in the fire incident yesterday. He met the 6 injured admitted at the hospital. All of them are safe," wrote the Indian Embassy in Kuwait on social media platform, X.
MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh assures full support
During the meeting, the minister assured them of the government of India's assistance. The Indian Embassy and MoS Singh will oversee the early repatriation of mortal remains of those who have died and meet those injured in this unfortunate incident, according to the statement released by the embassy.
Earlier today, when Singh rushed to Kuwait, he asserted that an Air Force plane was placed on standby to bring the mortal remains of the Indian labourers killed in the tragic fire incident. A massive fire engulfed a six-storey building in Kuwait housing foreign workers early on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people, mostly Indians, and injuring more than 50 others, according to officials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, where he directed MoS to "urgently" visit the city to assist Indians.
IAF plane on standby to bring mortal remains
While speaking to news agency ANI before leaving for Kuwait, the situation was that the victims were mostly burn victims. Singh claimed that some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. A DNA test is underway to identify the victims, said Singh. An Air Force plane is on the ready. As soon as the bodies are identified, the kin will be informed. Our Airforce plane will bring the bodies back. The latest figures that we had last night, the casualty figures are around 48-49 out of this 42 or 43 are believed to be Indians," he said.
How did Kuwait labour camp engulf in fire?
The fire started in a kitchen in the 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. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said that the death toll from the tragic fire has reached 49, the Kuwait Times newspaper reported. More than 40 of the dead were Indians while over 50 Indian nationals were injured in the fire, officials said, adding that the remaining ones were Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Nepali nationals.
The ministry said that criminal evidence department personnel are currently working on identifying the victims on-site and revealing the cause of the fire and added that strict measures will be taken against building owners who violate the law. "Unfortunately, we received a report of a fire at.. exactly 6:00 am (0830 IST) in the Mangaf area," Major General Eid Al-Owaihan, head of the Interior Ministry’s General Department of Criminal Evidence, said.
Majority of killed in Kuwait fire are Indians: MEA
The majority of the deceased were Indian nationals from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and north Indian states. Their ages ranged between 20 and 50 years, he was quoted as saying by the English language daily Arab Times. The building is rented by the NBTC group. Five firefighters sustained injuries during the rescue operation, sources said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya who apprised him of the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities after the fire. "Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed," Jaishankar said on X.
Jaishankar also urged the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives and emphasised that those injured were getting the requisite medical attention. The minister added that he would review the situation after Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh reached Kuwait on Thursday to oversee assistance to Indians injured in the fire and to ensure early repatriation of mortal remains of those killed.
(With inputs from agency)'
