A fire incident at a labor housing facility in the Mangaf area of Kuwait on Wednesday has resulted in the death of around 40 Indians and left over 50 injured, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The injured are currently receiving treatment in five government hospitals in Kuwait: Adan, Jaber, Farwaniya, Mubarak Al Kabeer, and Jahra hospitals. Hospital authorities have reported that most of the patients are in stable condition.
"The Embassy is ascertaining the full details from the concerned Kuwaiti authorities and the company. We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved families," the MEA stated in a release on Wednesday night.
Following the incident, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika, promptly visited the site of the incident and the hospitals to check on the welfare of the Indian nationals involved.
"The Embassy continues to coordinate with local authorities to assist Indian nationals who have been injured in this unfortunate incident and extend all possible support," the MEA release noted, adding that the Embassy is receiving full cooperation from the Kuwaiti authorities.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh to travel immediately to Kuwait to facilitate the early repatriation of the deceased's remains and provide medical assistance to the injured. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait remains in close contact with local authorities to provide relief to those affected by the fire.
A helpline has been established by the Embassy (+965-65505246, available via WhatsApp and regular call) for family members to get in touch and receive regular updates.
Prime Minister Modi chaired a review meeting following the news of the fire and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the families of the deceased Indian nationals. Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, PM Modi extended his condolences to the families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured, assuring all possible assistance from the Indian government. The meeting, held at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi, was attended by key officials including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, PM's Principal Secretary Pramod Kumar Mishra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, and other senior officials.
"The Prime Minister announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of deceased Indian nationals from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund," the official statement from the Prime Minister's Office added.
