Forty-nine dead as fire engulfs Kuwait residential block

A tragic incident in Kuwait has resulted in the loss of at least 49 lives due to a fire that broke out in a residential building. The fire, which started in the lower part of the building, quickly escalated, leading to thick black smoke billowing from the upper floors. Among the casualties, a significant number were foreign workers, including Indian nationals. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep sadness over the fire mishap in Kuwait City and extended his thoughts to all those who lost their loved ones. He assured that the Indian embassy is closely monitoring the situation and collaborating with the local authorities. Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf al-Sabah attributed the tragedy to the greed of property owners and violations of building standards, emphasizing that these violations were the root cause of the fire. The fire was reported at 06:00 local time and has since been brought under control. An eyewitness from Tamil Nadu, India, shared that many of the workers were on night shifts and were cooking food upon returning from work when the fire erupted. Reports suggest that the building, which housed 196 workers, may have been overcrowded. A senior police officer revealed that there was a large number of people in the building at the time of the fire, and many deaths occurred due to smoke inhalation. The victims included individuals from various nationalities, such as Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino, and Nepali. It is important to note that human rights groups have consistently expressed concerns about the living conditions of foreign workers in Kuwait.