India is to bring back the bodies of 45 of its citizens who died in a fire in Kuwait City. Special flight to bring back mortal remains to Kochi early Friday morning and then proceed to Delhi, says Indian Embassy in Kuwait. The deaths, according to consulate reports, were of 23 from Kerala in the highest number, followed by 7 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh, similarly from Uttar Pradesh, while smaller numbers were from Odisha and Bihar, followed by Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Haryana.
At the directives of Modi, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh landed in Kuwait to liaison with the authorities in host country Kuwait for quick repatriation of the bodies and oversee treatment being given to the injured. The fire took place in a labor housing facility in Mangaf, killing 45 of the 176 Indian workers residing there, while 33 were being treated at various Kuwaiti hospitals.
Upon arrival, Minister Singh visited multiple hospitals like Adan, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Jaber, Farwaniya, and Jahra where he met with the injured and ensured that they receive adequate medical treatment. The hospital officials have clarified that all the patients are in stable condition and will be discharged as per their recovery progress.
On his visit, Minister Singh met with a number of high-ranking Kuwaiti officials, extending state condolences of the ruler through First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence & Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud AlSabah, besides reassurances over full cooperation in bringing back the bodies and the best possible medical treatment for those injured. Similarly, meetings with Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Health Minister reassured Kuwait's co-operation over this tragic incident.
The Indian Embassy expressed deep condolences to the families of those killed and added that it was in constant contact with the local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected. It is still running a dedicated 24x7 helpline to provide updates and assistance to the families of those who lost their lives as well as those injured in the crash.
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