Following the fire incident in Kuwait that claimed 49 lives, Prime Minister Modi has sent Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to Kuwait to oversee efforts to aid the injured Indians and help bring back the bodies of the deceased to India.
The fire broke out while the victims were sleeping, leading to over 50 injuries and tragic deaths of many. Emphasising the gravity of the situation, Minister Singh before leaving for Kuwait said, “This is a very sad tragedy. We are monitoring it every moment. The rest will become clear when we reach there.”
Revealing the horrific incident, Singh revealed that around 48-49 people have died, of which a large number, around 42 or 43, were Indian nationals. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has stepped up efforts in coordination with local authorities, setting up a helpline (+965-65505246) to provide assistance and support to the affected families.
Extremely saddened by the incident, Prime Minister Modi convened an important meeting with key officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, to assess the situation. Expressing deep grief, PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the families of the deceased Indian nationals.
Reports suggest that most of the victims were from Kerala, many of whom died due to suffocation caused by smoke while sleeping during the incident. The fire that broke out in the kitchen of the six-storey building in Mangaf area of Kuwait affected 195 workers belonging to the NBTC Group. The deceased included Indian nationals from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other North Indian states, aged between 20 and 50 years, indicating the tragic gravity of the incident.
