Kuwait building blaze: Around 40 Indians Killed
The fire started in a kitchen in the six-storey building, officials said, adding the building had nearly 195 people - all workers of the same company - living in it. Officials said most deaths were due to smoke inhalation while residents were sleeping.
Kuwait, like other Persian Gulf countries, has a large community of migrant workers who far outnumber the local population. The nation of some 4.2 million people is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of New Jersey but has the world’s sixth-largest known oil reserves.
Indians constitute 21 per cent (10 lakh) of the total population of Kuwait, and 30 per cent of its workforce (approximately 9 lakh). The other people who have died were reportedly from Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt and Nepal.
MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh said, "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 on Thursday the incident in Kuwait is “unfortunate". "All of us including the PM are very concerned. I am going there and see the situation. People from our embassy are already there on the ground looking after the injured... I am going there and I will inform the government regarding the conditions there... DNA testing is being carried out to identify the bodies. This might take some time to bring the mortal remains to India. The Air Force place is on the go. As soon as the bodies are identified, they would be brought to India...", he added.
Before leaving for Kuwait from Delhi Airport, MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “We had a meeting last evening with the PM... The situation will be cleared the moment we reach there... The situation is that the victims are mostly burn victims and some of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition. A DNA test is underway to identify the victims. An Air Force plane is on the ready. As soon as the bodies are identified, the kin will be informed and our airforce plane will bring the bodies back..."
The Kuwait Times reported that Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, the First Deputy Prime Minister who is also the Minister of Defence, and Minister of Interior, has ordered the arrest of the building's owner and janitor as well as the owner of the company responsible for the workers pending the end of the criminal evidence personnel's examination of the scene
