Fire engulfs residential area, 49 dead, 40 Indians

The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a fire broke out in a residential building in Manjaf city, Kuwait, killing 49 people, including at least 40 Indians.

A fire broke out in a building housing dozens of workers on Wednesday.

Video shared on social media showed flames engulfing the lower part of the building and thick smoke billowing from the upper floors.

Authorities said many of the casualties were from the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. About 50 Indians were also injured.

Filipino and Nepalese workers were also among the injured.

Two-thirds of Kuwait’s population are foreign workers and the country is highly dependent on migrant labor, particularly in the construction and domestic sectors.

Human rights groups often express concern about their living conditions.

Local media reported that there were 196 workers in the building, and there were signs that the building may be overcrowded.

A senior police officer told state television that a “large number” of people were inside the building at the time of the fire.

“Dozens of people were rescued, but unfortunately many died from smoke inhalation from the fire,” he said, adding that warnings about overcrowding in such accommodation were often issued.

Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Farhad Youssef Al-Sabah accused the owners of greed and said breaches of building standards had led to the tragedy.

Sheikh Sabah, who is also acting interior minister, told Reuters: “Unfortunately, the greed of the owners is the reason for this.”

“They violated the rules and this is the result of the violation,” he said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Eid al-Oweihan told state television that the fire was reported at 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday. Later the situation was brought under control.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

“The fire incident in Kuwait City is tragic,” he said on X.

“My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones. I pray for a speedy recovery for the injured.”

He said the Indian Embassy was monitoring the situation and cooperating with local authorities.

Government deputy minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, who traveled to Kuwait on Thursday morning, said DNA tests were being conducted to identify the victims.

“An Air Force aircraft is ready. Once the body is identified, we will inform the relatives and our Air Force aircraft will bring the body back,” he told news agency ANI.

Witness Manikandan from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu told BBC Tamil that many workers were working night shifts.

“Some people who came back to their apartments early in the morning were cooking after coming back from work,” he said.

“Once the fire broke out, it spread quickly and the people living in the building were unable to control the fire.”

Back home in India, the families of the victims who have been identified are shocked.

Umaruddeen Shameer from Kollon district in Kerala is a driver for an oil company in Kuwait.

A neighbor who answered the phone at Kollam’s home said the family was shocked after hearing about his death.

“He had just got married when he came here to visit nine months ago,” the neighbor told BBC Hindi, without revealing his identity. “His parents couldn’t talk to anyone.”

Another victim, Stephin Sabu, 29, will return home to Kerala’s Kottayam district next month, a family acquaintance told BBC Hindi.

Babu Mathew, a local church member, told BBC Hindi: “His father was unwell and his mother could not speak.”

“Stephen will arrive next month for the housewarming ceremony of the house he built.”

Others said they were desperately waiting for news about their loved ones.

Ashrafinisa, who hails from Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, said she had not spoken to her husband Mohammad Sharif for two days. He had been working as a foreman in Kuwait for the past ten years, living in the destroyed building.

“The last time I spoke to him was Tuesday afternoon. I haven’t been able to contact him since then,” she said.

Additional reporting by BBC Tamil)