Rabat – A devastating fire swept through a residential building in the Kuwaiti city of Mangaf, claiming the lives of at least 50 people, 40 of which are reported to be from India. The fire broke out on Wednesday morning, engulfing the lower part of the building and filling the upper floors with thick black smoke.
According to BBC, the majority of the casualties are workers from the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In addition to the 40 killed, even 50 more Indians have been reported injured, with many still receiving hospital treatment.
The fire is believed to have started in a kitchen on one of the lower floors and quickly spread throughout the building. Local media reports suggest that the building was overcrowded, housing 196 workers in total, many of whom were migrant laborers.
A senior police officer informed state TV that there was a “large number” of people in the building when the fire broke out. “Dozens were rescued, but unfortunately there were many deaths as a result of inhaling smoke from the fire,” he said. He also noted that warnings about overcrowding in this type of accommodation are frequently issued.
Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf al-Sabah blamed the tragedy on the greed of property owners, citing violations of building standards. “Unfortunately, the greed of the property owners is what led to this,” Sheikh al-Sabah, who also serves as acting interior minister, told Reuters news agency. “They violate regulations, and this is the result of the violations,” he said.
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An eyewitness, Manikandan from Tamil Nadu, told BBC Tamil that many of the workers had been on night shifts. “Some of those who returned to that apartment early in the morning were cooking food after coming back from work,” he said. “Once the fire erupted, it spread rapidly. People living in the building were not able to control the fire.”
The Kuwaiti government has launched an investigation into the incident, with the building’s owner detained for questioning.
Human rights groups have long raised concerns over the living conditions of foreign workers in Kuwait, who make up two-thirds of the country’s population.
The Indian government has extended its condolences to the families of the deceased and is working closely with Kuwaiti authorities to provide assistance to the injured.
