Dozens of people were killed Wednesday in a building fire that erupted in a multi-story building. Photo by Noufal Ibrahim/EPA-EFE
At least 49 people, mostly Indian, are dead and dozens more are injured after a fire tore through a housing facility in Kuwait, officials and authorities said.
Around 40 of the deceased have been identified as Indian nationals along with more than 50 of the injured, according to a statement from New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs. Advertisement
The victims were among the nearly 200 men who inhabited the multi-story building in Mangaf, an area along the coast of the Persian Gulf, when it became engulfed in flames Wednesday morning, according to the Kuwait Times, which reported that the fire began at about 4 a.m.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said its injured nationals have been transported to five government hospitals in Kuwait where the majority are listed in stable condition.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya spoke over the phone with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to express the condolences of Kuwait over “the tragic and painful incident that claimed the lives of 49 people residing in the State of Kuwait as a result of the tragic fire that took place at their residence.”
“The concerned authorities in the State of Kuwait are harnessing all their capabilities to care of the injured and meet their health and medical needs,” Al-Yahya said, according to a readout of the call. Advertisement
Jaishankar added in a statement that Al-Yahya assured him the incident would be “fully investigated and that the responsibility will be fixed.”
He also urged for the repatriation of the remains of those killed in the blazed while emphasizing that the injured receive “the requisite medical attention.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said that the “fire mishap” was “saddening.”
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” he said in a statement. “The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist the affected.”
