In a heart-wrenching incident, the mortal remains of 45 Indian nationals who lost their lives in a devastating fire in Kuwait City have been brought back to India.
At about 10.30 am, an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft carrying the lifeless remains of 45 Indians who perished in the horrific fire tragedy in Kuwait two days prior touched down at the airport. Thirteen of the forty-five fatal remains transported by the IAF C30J plane were collected at the airport. “The Kuwaiti government has taken the fire incident seriously,” said Kirti Vardhan Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs, who was on board and played a key role in the prompt repatriation of the deceased.
“They are making inquiries as to how it happened so that this kind of tragic incident is never repeated. They have also assured us that all the paperwork is done,” he said. After arriving at the CIAL earlier today, all customs, immigration, and airport health office procedures for the 45 bodies were completed. Thirty-one bodies from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka were offloaded here. After clearance, the remaining 14 bodies will be sent to Delhi on the same aircraft as a domestic flight.
#WATCH | Ernakulam: Mortal remains of the victims of the fire incident in Kuwait, handed over to their families at Cochin International Airport. pic.twitter.com/yxcRb9zNaj
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024
“I want to pay my heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who lost their lives in this accident. It is a very tragic incident, and we are all very sad about it. The moment our government got to know that this incident had taken place, PM Modi immediately convened a meeting and instructed us to reach Kuwait immediately and take all possible steps so that the mortal remains could be brought back as soon as possible,” MoS MEA told ANI.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, other top ministers, and opposition leaders paid tribute to the mortal remains of the deceased, who hail from Kerala. “It is a very unfortunate incident, but the central government and the MEA have taken up the issue very seriously, and the procedures were carried out quickly in Kuwait, and the bodies are coming today. All procedures were completed by yesterday evening itself. We will visit the houses of all the deceased and offer our condolences to their families,” Kerala BJP President K. Surendran was quoted as saying by ANI.
Here’s what we know:
The Incident
- The fire broke out in a building housing approximately 195 migrant workers, most of whom were Indians employed by the NBTC Group.
- The fire is believed to have originated in a kitchen and quickly engulfed the building around 4:30 am.
- Tragically, the majority of fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation.
- Some victims jumped from the burning building, while others succumbed to the thick smoke.
The Victims
- Among the deceased, 23 were identified as Keralites, while the remaining 18 hail from Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- In addition to Indian nationals, the fire also claimed the lives of Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, and Nepali workers.
Investigation and Accountability of Kuwaiti authorities
- Kuwaiti authorities conducted DNA tests on the bodies for identification.
- The tragedy has been attributed to alleged negligence by the building’s owners.
- Kuwait’s Fire Force determined that an electrical short circuit caused the fire.
- The public prosecutor ordered the detention of a Kuwaiti national and an expatriate on charges of “erroneous killing.”
- The NBTC Group, partly owned by an Indian, had rented the building to house the workers.
- Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister blamed safety norm violations and real estate owners’ greed.
Government Response
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
- He announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals.
- The injured are receiving treatment in Kuwait, and efforts are ongoing to ensure their recovery.
The tragic loss of lives underscores the need for stringent safety measures and accountability. Our thoughts are with the families affected by this devastating event. May the departed souls rest in peace.
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Nikhil Malhotra 
