Kuwait Fire: What We Know About Mangaf Housing Blaze That Killed 42 Indians, Including 24 From Kerala

The death toll of Indians in the Kuwait fire surged to at least 42 on Wednesday, as a massive blaze engulfed a building housing foreign workers. Out of the total 49 foreign workers killed, some 42 victims were confirmed to be Indian nationals, most of whom were breadwinners for their families.

Who Are The Victims?

Of the Indian victims, 24 hailed from Kerala and 5 from Tamil Nadu. Among those tragically killed in the fire was 29-year-old Stephin Abraham Sabu, an engineer from Kottayam’s Pampadi. He is survived by his mother Shirley and his brothers Febin and Kevin. From the coastal town of Thrikaripur, Kelu Ponmaleri leaves behind his wife KN Mani.

Thirty-four-year-old Ranjith of Kasargod also died in the fire. A resident of northern Kerala, he went to Kuwait a year and a half ago after celebrating the housewarming of his new home. He had planned to return to his village for a vacation in July. However, his village has been shaken by the unofficial news of his death.

READ MORE: ‘Charred Bodies On Stairs’: Kuwait Building Fire Caught Victims Sleeping, Some Jumped Out Of The Window

Sajan George, 29, from Punalur leaves behind his parents George Pothan and Valsamma, and his sister. Lucose, of Kollam, is survived by his wife Shiny, and children Lydia and Lois. Akash S. Nair, 32, a native of Panthalam in Pathanamthitta district, has been reported dead in a fire accident in Kuwait. He had been working in Kuwait for the past eight years and returned on leave a year ago. He is survived by his mother, Airanikuzhi Shobalaya, Pandalam.

Chennasseril Saju Varghese, a 65-year-old man from Konni in Pathanamthitta district, died in the Kuwait fire accident. He had been employed with the company for 22 years. He is survived by his wife, Bindu, and two children. Akash, a 23-year-old native of Pandalam, is also among the deceased in the Kuwait fire accident. Further details are awaited. Sreehari Pradeep, a mechanical engineer from Changanassery Ithithanam, died in the Kuwait fire accident. His father, Pradeep, also works in Kuwait.

State Govts In Action

The Kerala government on Thursday said it will provide Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the families of the people from the state who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy that claimed 49 lives and left 50 others injured. The decision was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the morning, a statement issued by his office said.

The cabinet also decided to provide Rs one lakh financial assistance to those injured in the incident, it said. A decision was taken to immediately send state Health Minister Veena George to Kuwait to coordinate the efforts to provide treatment to those injured and bring back the bodies of those who died in the tragedy, it further said.

It is learnt that five Tamils were among the dead in the Kuwait fire incident, Tamil Nadu Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non- Resident Tamils Welfare, Gingee KS Masthan said on Thursday, quoting information shared so far by Tamil associations based abroad.

Masthan told reporters that the victims belong to Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Peravurani regions of the state and they were identified as Rama Karuppan, Veerasamy Mariappan, Chinnadurai Krishnamurthy, Mohammed Sherif and Richard. As per Chief Minister M K Stalin’s directive, all steps are being taken to bring home the bodies and ensure necessary medical care for the injured, he said. “The Embassy (in Kuwait) has said that official information (on victims) will be provided to the state government. We are continuously monitoring.”

Jaishankar Speaks To Kuwaiti Counterpart

On Wednesday night, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya and urged him to ensure early repatriation of the mortal remains of those killed in a devastating fire in southern Kuwait’s Mangaf area. “Spoke to Kuwaiti FM Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on the fire tragedy in Kuwait. Apprised of the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities in that regard. Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed,” Jaishankar said on the social media platform ‘X’.

PM Modi Review Meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the incident as “saddening”, reviewed the situation at a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Principal Secretary to PM PK Mishra among others. Following the meeting, the prime minister announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM Relief Fund and directed that the government should extend all possible assistance.

“The fire mishap in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist the affected,” Modi said on ‘X’. In its statement, the MEA said the Indian embassy in the Gulf nation is ascertaining the full details from the Kuwaiti authorities. “Those injured are presently admitted in five government hospitals (Adan, Jaber, Farwaniya, Mubarak Al Kabeer and Jahra) in Kuwait and receiving proper medical care and attention,” it said. “According to hospital authorities, most of the admitted patients are stable,” it said.

Indian Envoy Visits Incident Site

Following the incident, the Ambassador of India in Kuwait Adarsh Swaika immediately visited the incident site and also the hospitals to ascertain the welfare of the Indian nationals. “The embassy continues to coordinate with local authorities to assist Indian nationals who have been injured in this unfortunate incident and extend all possible support. The embassy is receiving full cooperation from the Kuwaiti authorities,” the MEA said.

“Our Embassy in Kuwait continues to remain in touch with local authorities to provide relief to those affected. The Embassy has established a helpline +965-65505246 (WhatsApp and regular call) for family members to get in touch,” it said. The fire in Al-Mangaf building was reported to authorities in Al-Ahmadi governorate at 4.30 am and most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, Kuwaiti media reported, adding the fire started in a kitchen.  The Indian embassy said it is in touch with Kuwaiti law enforcement authorities, fire service and health department for necessary action.

(With agency inputs)

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