Building fire in Kuwait: at least 35 dead

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fire tore through a building housing foreign workers in Kuwait early Wednesday, killing at least 41 people. Authorities said the fire appeared to be related to code violations.

Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah confirmed the death toll and ordered the arrest of the building's owner during a visit to the site, local media reported.

“We will solve the problem of labor overpopulation,” he said. “I will now see what violations have been committed here and will deal with the owner of the property.”

Local media reported that many workers lived in the building in the southern district of Mangaf, without giving their nationality.

Col. Sayed Hassan al-Mousawi, head of the fire department's accident investigation department, said there were dozens of casualties and the final toll could be higher.

Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Adarsh ​​Swaika said more than 30 Indian workers injured in the fire had been admitted to hospital. Swaika shared the information about X but did not say whether any Indian nationals had died.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the victims and said the Indian Embassy was “closely monitoring the situation and working with local authorities to help those affected.”

“The fire in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” Modi posted on X.

Kuwait, like other Persian Gulf countries, has a large community of migrant workers. who are far more numerous the local population. This country of around 4.2 million people is slightly smaller than the US state of New Jersey, but has the sixth largest known oil reserves in the world.

Oil refinery fire in 2022 killed four people.