PM Modi expressed his sadness, Jaishankar expressed his shock: condolences follow the Kuwait fire incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Congress chief Kharge, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, other leaders expressed condolences over the tragic fire incident in Kuwait that claimed at least 41 lives, including several Indian nationals.
Videos of a fire that broke out in a building housing foreign labourers in Kuwaiti capital Kuwait City have gone viral on social media. The videos showed smoke billowing out of the windows of the building in Al-Mangaf, a city in Al-Ahmadi province, and flames blocking the building’s entrance early Wednesday morning.
Kuwaiti authorities said the death toll is expected to rise. Media outlets in the West Asian country said construction firm NBTC Group had rented the building to house more than 195 workers, most of whom were Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and northern states.
The country’s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Youssef Saud Al-Sabah visited the scene. He said an investigation has been launched and accused the builders of violating rules for “greed”.
Sheikh Fahad, who also runs the interior and defence ministries, said: “Unfortunately, the greed of real estate owners is what gives rise to these cases.” He issued orders to arrest the owner and watchman of the Al-Mangaf building.
Kuwaiti’s health ministry said the injured were admitted to several hospitals, with 21 sent to Al-Adan Hospital, six to Farwaniya Hospital, one to Al-Amiri and 11 to Mubarak Hospital.
