Kuwait Fire Tragedy: A special Indian Air Force aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indian victims who lost their lives in a tragic fire incident in Kuwait’s Mangaf has departed for Kochi, according to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait early Friday morning.
A post on ‘X’ by the Indian embassy in Kuwait said, “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 wrote on X. MoS @KVSinghMPGonda, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities ensuring swift repatriation, is onboard the aircraft.”
A special IAF aircraft carrying mortal remains of 45 Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait has taken off for Kochi.
MoS @KVSinghMPGonda, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities ensuring swift repatriation, is onboard the aircraft pic.twitter.com/091hBNWzLL
— India in Kuwait (@indembkwt) June 13, 2024
Out of total 45 Indian deceased in the fire incident on Wednesday, at least 23 are the residents of Kerala.
According to news agency ANI, the breakdown of the victims highlights the widespread devastation: seven were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal.
To ensure the smooth transportation of mortal remains, Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Kuwait on Thursday. He visited the hospitals and interacted with Indian nationals undergoing treatment.
Here Are Top 10 Developments:
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As per reports, the IAF’s C-130J transport aircraft will first land in Kochi as the number of victims is higher in the state of Kerala; afterwards, the flight will reach Delhi to swiftly ensure the repartition of the victims from the northern states.
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MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh met with the Gulf nation’s foreign minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Al-Sabah, and health minister Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi. He also visited Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital and Jaber Hospital, where several injured Indians were being treated.
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Kuwaiti authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire and providing support to the affected families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his deepest condolences and assured that all possible assistance will be given to those impacted by the tragedy.
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The Kuwait Fire Force stated on Thursday that an electrical short circuit caused the deadly fire. They concluded this after inspecting the scene and the building where the fire occurred.
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Kuwaiti authorities are performing DNA tests on the victims of the devastating fire. So far, they have identified 48 bodies of them 45 are Indians and 3 Filipinos, according to the Arab Times cited by PTI.
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Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed condolences and announced Rs 5 lakh financial aid for each of the seven Tamil Nadu families who lost loved ones.
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Kerala Health Minister Veena George will travel to Kuwait to help families. Meanwhile, the Kerala government announced Rs 5 lakh for families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.
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Authorities arrested a Kuwaiti citizen and several foreigners on charges of manslaughter and causing injuries due to negligence in security and safety measures following the fire incident.
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A prominent NRI businessman and Chairman of UAE-based Lulu Group also announced Rs 5 lakh as a relief fund for family of the deceased in the Mangaf fire mishap.
- At least 49 foreign workers died and 50 others were injured in a fire on Wednesday at a seven-story building housing 196 migrant workers in the southern city of Mangaf.