A fire broke out in a building housing workers in Kuwait's Mangaf city killing 49 people, including 40 Indians. The incident happened at 6 am local time (9 am IST). According to reports, the fire started in a kitchen in the six-storey building which had nearly 160 people living in it. It included many workers of the same company. According to officials, most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation as the residents were asleep when the fire broke out early Wednesday. Reportedly, some people jumped from the fifth floor of the building to escape the fire and died.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X expressed his grief. He wrote, “The fire mishap in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist the affected.”
The fire mishap in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist… https://t.co/cb7GHN6gmX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 12, 2024
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said, “Deeply shocked by the news of the fire incident in Kuwait City. There are reportedly over 40 deaths and over 50 have been hospitalized. Our Ambassador has gone to the camp. We are awaiting further information.”
According to reports, a large numbers of workers are crammed into one residential building. The Kuwait Times reported that Kuwait's deputy PM has ordered police to arrest the owner of the building, the building's janitor, as well as the owner of the company responsible for the workers. “What happened today is a result of the greed of the company and building owners,” the deputy PM said.
