India dispatched a military transport aircraft to Kuwait on Thursday to bring back the remains of over 40 Indians who perished in a catastrophic fire in a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait. According to Kuwaiti authorities, the fire resulted in the deaths of 45 Indians and three Filipinos. The tragedy claimed at least 49 lives and injured another 50.
Officials in Delhi stated that the Indian Air Force’s C-130J transport aircraft will return the bodies on Friday, initially landing in Kochi as most of the deceased were from Kerala. The aircraft is also expected to arrive in Delhi, catering to some victims from northern Indian states.
A Kuwaiti national and several foreigners were detained on Thursday on charges of manslaughter and causing injuries due to inadequate security and safety measures, following the fire that killed 49 people, including 45 Indians.
The fire broke out on Wednesday in a seven-story building in Mangaf, a southern city, where 196 migrant workers were residing. The blaze led to at least 49 deaths and 50 injuries.
“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,” reported the Arabic-language daily Arab Times.
Investigations by the Kuwaiti Fire Force determined that the fatal fire was sparked by an “electrical circuit,” as confirmed by the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Minister of Defence, disclosed that 48 bodies have been identified, including 45 Indians and three Filipinos, as reported by the English-language daily Arab Times.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh arrived in Kuwait and met with the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Interior Minister Al-Sabah, and Health Minister Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi to address the situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other officials to discuss the incident. Following the meeting, the Prime Minister directed the government to provide comprehensive assistance and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased Indian nationals.
In a phone call, the Indian Minister of External Affairs urged Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya to expedite the repatriation process for the deceased individuals’ mortal remains.
