Kuwait fire: Special IAF flight carrying bodies of 45 Indian victims en route to Kochi

A special IAF aircraft carrying mortal remains of 45 Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait has taken off for Kochi, the Indian embassy in Kuwait said in a post on X (formally Twitter) on June 14. 

“Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities to ensure swift repatriation, is onboard the aircraft,” it added. The flight is expected to reach Kochi today at around 11 am and then leave for Delhi. 

Forty-five Indians were among the 49 people killed in a devastating fire that broke out in a building housing migrant workers in Kuwait’s Mangaf area. An Indian Air Force plane is bringing back the bodies to India for their last rites. 

Among the Indians, 23 were from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, two each from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, and one each from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. 

A majority of the victims worked for NBTC, a company in Kuwait which is the largest construction firm in the country. The building which caught fire also belonged to NBTC.  

As many as 196 migrant workers were reportedly staying in the building.

Of the 176 Indian workers living in the building 33 are admitted in various hospitals, 45 died and the rest are safe, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait said in a press release.

The fire in Al-Mangaf building was reported to authorities in Al-Ahmadi governorate at 4.30 am on Wednesday and most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, Kuwaiti media reported. 

While some of the victims had recently moved to Kuwait for work, there were many who had been living in the country for decades. 

The incident was the worst building fire in Kuwait’s history, and it triggered calls for action against landlords and company owners who “violate the law to house large numbers of foreign laborers in extremely unsafe conditions to cut costs”, the Kuwait Times newspaper reported.

On June 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families on the deceased from he Prime Minister Relief Fund.

The Indian Embassy has released an updated list of WhatsApp helpline numbers and email ids. Here is the full list.