Kuwait fire: 45 Indians, 3 Filipinos identified among dead, authorities to quickly investigate incident | Latest news India

Kuwaiti authorities have identified 45 Indians and three Filipinos among the bodies of the devastating fire at a building in Mangaf, where 196 migrant workers lived.

At least 49 migrant workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire. The country offered its full support for the repatriation of the victims' bodies and promised to promptly investigate the incident.

Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, the current first deputy prime minister, interior minister and defense minister, said authorities had identified 48 bodies – 45 Indians and three Filipinos, the Arab reported Times.

Efforts are still underway to determine the identity of one of the remaining bodies, the first deputy prime minister said.

Read more: Kuwait fire: 42 Indians killed in Mangaf tragedy. Who were the natives of Kerala?

Kuwaiti authorities are carrying out DNA tests on the bodies of those killed in the devastating fire in southern Kuwait's Mangaf region, and an Indian Air Force plane is set to bring back the remains of the Indians killed in the incident, officials in New Delhi said Thursday. .

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who visited Kuwait to oversee assistance to Indians injured in the fire and ensure speedy repatriation of remains of those killed, met the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, who assured him of his full support and pledged to quickly investigate the tragedy.

Singh also met some of the Indians injured in the massive fire and assured them all of the Indian government's support.

Later, he visited First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad, who conveyed the Emir's condolences and instructions to ensure all necessary assistance and support.

Read more: Shock and grief envelop loved ones of Kuwait fire victims

Singh conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings to the Amir and thanked the Deputy Prime Minister and the leadership of Kuwait for the proactive facilitation provided by the Kuwaiti authorities, the Indian mission said.

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah issued directives for the distribution of financial aid to the families of the deceased, Sheikh Fahad said, without mentioning the amount of compensation. In addition, the Emir ordered the preparation of military aircraft to repatriate the bodies of deceased Indians to their home countries.

Sheikh Fahad is leading a comprehensive campaign to inspect illegal properties in many parts of Kuwait on Thursday.

The minister, accompanied by Minister of Public Works and Minister of Municipality Nora Al-Mashaan, began his inspection campaign in Al-Mangaf, Al-Mahboula, Khaitan and Jileeb Al-Shuyoukh, the newspaper said.

The Ministry of Interior, Kuwait Municipality, Kuwait Fire Brigade, Ministry of Electricity and Water, and Public Manpower Authority participated in the campaign.

Read more: Kuwait fire kills Kerala man, his dream of having his own home remains unfulfilled

The minister warned that any building violations would be dealt with without prior warning from Thursday.

“As of Thursday, the Municipality and its teams will respond to any infraction in all residential buildings without prior warning,” the minister told journalists during his inspection of the fire scene. The owner of the building concerned will be kept in detention until the end of the investigation into the causes of the fire, added the minister.

Meanwhile, Kuwait's prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident. The investigation aims to discover the circumstances of the incident and what could have started the deadly fire, the public prosecutor said on X.

There has been no official information on how the fire started or what caused it. Some local media reported that it could be a gas leak coming from the ground floor of the building.

The head of investigations at the Kuwait Fire Service, Colonel Sayed Al-Mousawi, said the team investigating the causes of the fire found that an inflammable material had been used as a partition between the apartments and also between rooms, which had caused huge black clouds of smoke.

He said many victims suffocated while trying to run down the stairs because they were filled with smoke, adding that the victims could not access the roof because the door was locked.

(with PTI inputs)