 "Kuwait fire: Who were the Indian victims killed in the tragedy?")
Early on Wednesday, a massive fire tore through a building in southern Kuwait that housed migrant workers.
At least 49 people were killed, 42 of whom were Indian nationals, and 50 others were injured.
India has sent a high-level delegation to the Gulf nation in response to the tragedy to work with local authorities to arrange for the return of the deceased’s mortal remains.
Who are the victims?
The building was rented by the Indian construction company NBTC group for the stay of over 195 workers, the majority of them were from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, according to the Kuwaiti media.
The majority of the workers in the building were men living without families.
About 42 of the 49 foreign workers who died in the tragic fire accident in the Al-Mangaf building were confirmed to be Indian nationals, while over 50 more people sustained injuries.
Among the victims, 14 were from Kerala, as per the Indian Express.
The remaining workers who lost their lives hail from Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, and Nepal, according to Onmanorama.
A majority of the deceased were aged between 20 and 50 years, as per The Arab Times.
According to News18, the unfortunate incident claimed the life of 29-year-old Stephen Abraham Sabu, an engineer from Pampadi in Kottayam, Kerala. He is survived by his mother Shirley, along with his brothers Febin, who is also in Kuwait, and Kevin.
Kelu Ponmaleri, 58, a native of the coastal town of Thrikaripur, leaves behind his wife, KN Mani, with whom he has two children. He was employed by the NBTC firm as an engineer. He relocated to Kuwait ten years ago.
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More ShortsK Ranjith, a 34-year-old bachelor, who hailed from Kasargod and was working as an accountant with the NTBC, also died in the fire. He had been in Kuwait for the last 10 years. According to Indian Express, he had joined NBTC in its catering section and made his way up to the accountant position. He is survived by his father, Raveendran, mother, Rugmini and two siblings.
Sajan George, 29, from Punalur, also lost his life in the fire. He leaves behind his parents, George Pothan and Valsamma, and his sister.
Vadakkottuvilayil Lukose, of Kollam, was working as a supervisor at the company. He had been in Kuwait for the last 18 years and was supposed to come to India next month for the college admission of his eldest daughter Lydia, who cleared class 12. The 48-year-old is survived by his wife, Shiny, and children, Lydia and Lois.
Another victim was Shameer Umarudheen, 30, from Sasthamkotta in Kollam. He had been working with the group as a heavy vehicle driver for the last five years, as per ANI. He is survived by his wife, Surumi and parents, Ummerudheen and Sabeena.
According to News18 sources, Akash S Nair, a native of Pandalam, has been reported dead in the fire accident. He was working in Kuwait for the past eight years.
PV Muraleedharan, who had been working in the Gulf country for the past 30 years and was the senior supervisor in the fabrication division, also lost his life in the blaze. He hailed from Vazhamuttom, Pathanamthitta.
Chennasseril Saju Varghese, 65, from Konni in Kerala, has died in the accident and is survived by his wife Bindu and his two children. He had been working in the company for more than two decades.
Sreehari Pradeep, the mechanical engineer from Changanassery, Kottayam, is survived by his father, Pradeep and his mother, Deepa.
According to Onmanorama, other Indian victims are identified as Thomas Oommen hailed from Tiruvalla, Viswas Krishnan from Dhamadom, Kannur, Nooh and MP Bahulayan from Malappuram, Thomas Joseph, Praveen Madhav, Bhoonath Richard Roy Anand, Anil Giri, Muhammed Shareef, Dwarikesh Patnaik, Viswas Krishnan, Arun Babu, Raymond, Jesus Lopez, and Denny Baby Karunakaran.
What do we know about the massive fire?
The fire in Mangaf, a city along the coast south of the capital Kuwait City, was reported to local authorities at local time 6 am (8.30 am), Major General Eid Rashed Hamad told state television.
Another senior police commander told state television that many people had died from smoke inhalation, and dozens were rescued. He said the building housed a large number of workers.
While NDTV claims that the fire originated in the kitchen of the six-story building, a senior Kuwaiti journalist told CNN-News18 that the intense heatwave, which has led to temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, is believed to have contributed to the tragedy.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be known. Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the fire and said that any officials found responsible would be held accountable, as per Reuters.
Five government hospitals in Kuwait are treating the injured: Jahra, Adan, Jaber, Farwaniya, and Mubarak Al Kabeer. Citing hospital officials, the Ministry of External Affairs reports that the majority of patients hospitalised are stable.
While a few people resorted to drastic means like jumping from the first floor to escape the fire, local authorities’ prompt response on Tuesday helped control the flames, as per News18.
Speaking with his counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya in Kuwait, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar received an update on the work being done by the local authorities.
“Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed,” Jaishankar said on X. He added that he had urged the early repatriation of the bodies of those who had lost their lives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the fire incident as “saddening,” and held a meeting with EAM Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, and Principal Secretary to the PM PK Mishra to review the situation.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” he said.
The PM also announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to each of the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM Relief Fund.
Furthermore, Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh is also travelling to Kuwait “to work towards early repatriation of mortal remains as well as for medical assistance to those injured,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
Before departing for Kuwait from Delhi Airport, MoS Singh told reporters, “We had a meeting with the Prime Minister last evening. The situation will become clear once we arrive there. The victims are mostly suffering from burns, and some bodies are charred beyond recognition. DNA tests are being conducted to identify them. An Air Force plane is on standby. Once the identifications are complete, the families will be notified, and the Air Force plane will transport the bodies back. As of last night, the casualty figures were around 48-49, with 42 or 43 of them believed to be Indians.”
The Indian Embassy has established a helpline +965-65505246 (WhatsApp and regular call) for family members to get in touch. Regular updates are being provided through the helpline.
With inputs from agencies
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