An Indian Air Force flight has brought back the bodies of 45 Indian workers who died in a devastating fire in Kuwait.
The blaze erupted on Wednesday at a residential building in Mangaf city, home to 176 Indian workers. In total, 50 people died in the fire, including 45 Indians and three Filipinos. Two bodies remain unidentified.
The incident has also left dozens of workers injured, most of them Indian. Kuwait, which relies heavily on foreign labour, particularly in construction and domestic sectors, has long faced criticism over the living conditions of its migrant workers.
Indian minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, who visited Kuwait following the tragedy, confirmed that DNA tests were conducted to identify the victims. The deceased workers hailed from various Indian states. Kerala bore the highest toll at 23 casualties.
The Indian government arranged a particular Air Force flight to bring back the bodies, which landed in Kerala’s Kochi city on Friday morning.
There, state officials, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, received the bodies and paid homage before the flight continued to Delhi.
This is a huge tragedy for our country. Kerala’s migrant workers are the lifeblood of our state. The fire in Kuwait is one of the biggest tragedies to affect our community, said Vijayan.
Both state and federal governments have announced compensation for the victims’ families. In Kuwait, authorities inspect health and safety conditions in buildings housing foreign workers. An investigation revealed the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the security guard’s room on the ground floor of the six-story building. Inflammable materials used as room partitions worsened the fire’s spread.
Kuwait’s Public Prosecution has detained a citizen and some expatriates on charges of manslaughter and negligence for failing to implement fire safety measures.
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