 "Kuwait victims")
An Indian Air Force transport plane carrying the remains of 45 Indians who died in a building fire in Kuwait arrived at Cochin International Airport in Kerala on Friday.
Union Minister of State VK Singh accompanied the bodies on the flight back to India.
The devastating fire in a labour accommodation in Mangaf, Kuwait, on June 12 claimed the lives of at least 45 Indians. Among the deceased, 23 were from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal.
Kuwaiti authorities conducted DNA testing to confirm the identities of the deceased and then handed over their remains to Indian officials.
On Thursday night, India dispatched a military transport aircraft to Kuwait to retrieve the mortal remains of the victims.
A Kerala Police pilot vehicle will escort the ambulances carrying the bodies, including those heading to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, according to media reports.
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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with ministers K Rajan, P Rajeeve, and Veena George, received the bodies at the airport. Podiums were set up for ministers and others to pay their respects to the dead.
Authorities have confirmed the identities of 45 Indian and three Filipino victims. The fire, which started around 4:30 am on Wednesday, primarily caused fatalities due to smoke inhalation, with indications that it originated in a kitchen.
What caused the Kuwait fire?
Preliminary investigations by Kuwaiti officials revealed that flammable materials used as partitions in the building contributed to the rapid spread of smoke, leading to suffocation of many victims. The victims were unable to escape to the rooftop as it was locked, according to Kuwait Fire Department Col Sayed Al-Mousawi.
The building in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area housed around 195 migrant workers.
Stalin announces aid
Chief Minister MK Stalin has expressed his condolences and announced financial aid of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of seven Tamil Nadu natives who died in the fire.
"The news that seven Tamils have died in Kuwait fire is very painful. The Tamil Nadu government is making arrangements to bring the bodies of the deceased to India by private plane and hand them over to their families as soon as possible," said Stalin on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
"The Government of Tamil Nadu will provide all necessary assistance to those undergoing treatment for burn injuries," he said.
Yusuff Ali M A, an Indian-origin businessman and chairman of UAE-based Lulu Group, on Thursday announced Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased in the tragic Kuwait fire tragedy.
The central government as well as the Kerala government have also announced similar relief funds.
Kuwait cracks down on housing violations
The Kuwait Times said “the worst building fire in Kuwait’s history” must lead to action against landlords and company owners who “violate the law to house large numbers of foreign labourers in extremely unsafe conditions to cut costs”,
Kuwait's public prosecutor has mandated the detention of a Kuwaiti citizen and a foreign national on charges related to "erroneous killing" in relation to a recent fire incident.
According to a statement by the public prosecutor's office on X, two unidentified individuals are facing multiple charges. These include "killing and injury by error due to negligence of security and safety precautions against fires."
