Junior Foreign Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh has been rushed to Kuwait to help Indians injured in the fire, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. As per reports, at least 40 Indians have been killed in a massive fire at a building housing labourers in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait.
Kirti Vardhan Singh has been directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to travel urgently to Kuwait to oversee assistance to those injured in the fire tragedy. He has also been asked to coordinate with local authorities for early repatriation of mortal remains of those who have died in the incident, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
10 updates on Kuwait fire in which 40 Indians have been killed
1 – External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said it has been reported that a number of Indians, including some from Kerala, have been killed in the incident of fire in a camp (known as NBTC camp) in Mangaf in Kuwait.
2 – The six-storey building was reportedly housing around 195 workers, most of them from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The fire started in a kitchen on a lower floor and quickly spread through the building, trapping several inside.
3 – As per Onmanorama report, the building belongs to NBTC group owned by Malayali businessman KG Abraham.
4 – As per Kuwaiti media reports, the fire in Al-Mangaf building was reported to authorities in Al-Ahmadi governorate at 4.30 am (local time) and most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation.
5 – The Indian Embassy in Kuwait City has set up an emergency helpline number: +965-65505246 to aid those affected in the tragic fire-accident.
6 – Indians make up 21 per cent (1 million) of Kuwait’s population and 30 per cent (approximately 900,000) of its workforce.
7 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for quick recovery of those injured. “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,” he said.
8 – The Indian envoy to Kuwait Adarsh Swaika visited the injured Indian workers in Al-Adan hospital, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital and Farwaniya Hospital where he met six workers, most of them Indians, and assured them of all assistance.
9 – EAM Jaishankar said he was ‘deeply shocked’ on hearing that 41 people died in the fire that broke out in a building housing workers. “Our Embassy will render the fullest assistance to all concerned in this regard,” he said.
10 – Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah blamed real estate owners while accusing them of violations and greed. “Unfortunately, the greed of real estate owners is what leads to these matters,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
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Indians among 41 killed in Kuwait building fire, Jaishankar promises ‘fullest assistance
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