Kuwait fire: IAF 130J plane with bodies of 45 Indians lands in Kochi; next stop Delhi | 10 updates | Latest news India

Mangaf building fire in Kuwait in 2024, latest updates: A special aircraft of the Indian Air Force, C-130J, carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indian victims of the Mangaf fire in Kuwait, landed at the Cochin International Airport on Friday. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who had arrived in Kuwait on Friday morning and coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities for an early repatriation, was also on board the plane, the Indian embassy said earlier.

“We have made all necessary arrangements to receive the bodies here. Ambulances have been arranged for each of the victims, and after that, a pilot (vehicle) will be dispatched to take the ambulances to their destination. We are waiting for the bodies of other people . “So does the United States, and accordingly we are taking the necessary measures. The family members would come here, we are also coordinating with them,” Putta Vimaladitya, DIG, Kochi Range, told reporters earlier.

Kuwaiti authorities said they had identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in a devastating fire at a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait. At least 49 migrant workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire.

Earlier, a Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (NORKA) official said unofficially that according to information provided by its helpdesk in Kuwait, 24 Malaysians had died in the fire. Among them, 22 were identified, he said. Earlier, citing information provided by overseas-based Tamil associations, Tamil Nadu Minister for Minority Welfare and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils ​​Gingee KS Masthan told reporters that five people of the state had been killed.

Kuwait fire tragedy: Top 10 updates

1. Earlier, officials in New Delhi had said the IAF's C-130J transport plane would bring back the bodies on Friday and would first land in Kochi as most of the deceased Indians are from Kerala. The plane is then expected to reach Delhi as some of the Indians killed are from a few northern Indian states, they said.
2. Kuwaiti authorities have already carried out DNA tests on the bodies as part of the identification process. Kuwaiti firefighters said the fire was caused by an “electrical circuit.”
3. Kirti Vardhan Singh met separately with the Gulf country's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Al-Sabah and Health Minister Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi. Kirti Vardhan Singh also visited Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital and Jaber Hospital, where several injured Indians were admitted.
4. A Kuwaiti citizen and several foreigners were arrested in connection with charges of manslaughter and injury caused by neglect of security and safety measures following the fire. Sheikh Fahad is leading a comprehensive campaign to inspect illegal properties in many parts of Kuwait on Thursday.
5. 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.
6. Prominent NRI businessman and Chairman of UAE-based Lulu Group, MA Yusuff Ali, announced ₹5 lakh each for the families of those who died in the tragic Kuwait fire. A sum of Rs. 5 lakh for each of the families of the deceased will be paid under this relief fund, said a statement issued by the group in Abu Dhabi.
7. On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Modi reviewed the situation in a meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra, among others.
8. Following the meeting, Prime Minister Modi announced ex-gratia relief from ₹2 lakh from the PM Relief Fund to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and directed the government to extend all possible assistance.
9. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said seven Tamils ​​were among the dead in the Kuwait fire. The deceased have been identified as Veerasamy Mariappan of Thoothukudi, E Raju of Tiruchirappalli, Krishnamurthy Chinnadurai of Cuddalore, Sivasankaran Govindan of Royapuram, Chennai, P Richard of Thanjavur, Karuppannan Ramu of Ramanathapuram and Mohamed Sharif of Villupuram.
10. The Andhra Pradesh government said three migrant workers from the state died in the recent fire in Kuwait. T Lokanandam of Srikakulam district, M Satyanarayana and M Eshwarudu of West Godavari district were identified among the deceased. Separately, the Uttar Pradesh government said three of the 45 Indians killed in the tragedy had been identified as residents of the state. According to information received from the State Relief Commissioner's office on Thursday evening, among those who died in the incident in Kuwait were Praveen Madhav Singh of Varanasi, Jairam Gupta and Angad Gupta of Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur.

(With contribution from agencies)