Kuwait Fire Tragedy: IAF Aircraft Carrying Bodies Of 45 Indians En Route To Kochi

An Indian Air Force aircraft has departed Kuwait with the bodies of 45 migrant workers from several states across the country who were killed in the Mangaf fire tragedy. The C-130J transport aircraft, with Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on board, is en route to Kochi and expected to arrive at 10.30 am. It will later head to Delhi.

Upon the aircraft’s arrival, the remains will be handed over to concerned state government representatives. Police forces and ambulances have been deployed at the Cochin International Airport, where the special IAF aircraft carrying the mortal remains of Indian victims is expected to arrive in a few hours.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers will be receiving the mortal remains of 23 deceased who hail from Kerala. “I will be visiting Nedumbassery airport tomorrow. All arrangements have been made there. I will do what I can as an MP but all the work has been done by Dr Jaishankar and MoS (MoS KV Singh). He was sent immediately to Kuwait to oversee everything there, including the legal procedures,” Union Minister Suresh Gopi told reporters on Thursday.

“The flight is expected to reach Kochi in the morning of 14 June and will then immediately proceed to Delhi. The deceased are from Kerala (23), Tamil Nadu (7), Andhra Pradesh (3), UP (3), Odisha (2), Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Haryana (1 each). The mortal remains would be handed over to concerned State Government representatives in Kochi and Delhi,” the Indian Mission in Kuwait said in a statement.

Kuwaiti authorities on Thursday confirmed the identification of 45 Indian and three Filipino nationals among the deceased after the blaze claimed the lives of at least 49 migrant workers and left 50 others injured. Out of the 176 Indians in the housing facility, 33 are in various hospitals, 45 have succumbed to fatalities, and the rest are reportedly safe. Earlier, Kuwaiti authorities conducted DNA tests on the bodies as part of the identification process. Kuwaiti Fire Force said the deadly fire was caused by an “electrical circuit”.

In a press statement, Kuwaiti authorities said the conclusion was arrived at after examination of the scene of the incident, Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, serving as the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Minister of Defence, said that authorities have identified 48 bodies, among which 45 are of Indians and three are of Filipino nationality, English language daily Arab Times reported.

MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh, who landed in Kuwait on Thursday, separately met the Gulf nation’s foreign minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Al-Sabah and Health Minister Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi. The Indian embassy in Kuwait said Foreign Minister Al-Yahya assured of full support including for medical care, early repatriation of mortal remains and investigation into the incident.

“FM Yahya conveyed his condolences on the tragic incident. He assured full support including for medical care, early repatriation of mortal remains and investigation of the incident,” the mission said on X. “MoS conveyed his appreciation for the cooperation being extended by all concerned authorities of Kuwait,” it said. Singh also visited Mubarak Al Kabeer hospital and Jaber hospital where several injured Indians were admitted.

In the meeting with Singh, the Kuwaiti health minister briefed him on steps taken to ensure speedy recovery of Indians under his “personal supervision”, according to the Indian embassy. “In an unfortunate and tragic fire incident earlier today in a Labour housing facility in Mangaf area of Kuwait, around 40 Indians are understood to have died and over 50 injured,” the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement late on Wednesday night.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi reviewed the situation at a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Principal Secretary to PM PK Mishra among others. After the meeting, the prime minister announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM Relief Fund and directed that the government should extend all possible assistance.

(With agency inputs)

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