Kuwait fire: Mortal remains of Indians killed in building fire handed over to their families

AN Indian Air Force plane transporting the mortal remains of Indian nationals affected by the Kuwait fire incident landed at Cochin International Airport.

Union Minister of State VK Singh, who promptly travelled to Kuwait on Thursday, accompanied the bodies on the flight.

At least 46 Indians died in the massive fire that broke out in a labour accommodation in Kuwait's Mangaf on 12 June. This includes 24 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 completed DNA testing on the deceased before handing over their remains to Indian officials for repatriation.

According to the Kuwaiti Fire Force, the tragic fire was attributed to an electrical circuit malfunction, as stated in a press release following an investigation of the incident site, as reported by Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

Authorities confirmed the identities of 46 Indian and three Filipino victims of the fire, which engulfed the Al-Mangaf building in the Al-Ahmadi governorate. The blaze, first reported to authorities at 4:30 am on Wednesday, resulted in numerous fatalities primarily due to smoke inhalation, with reports indicating it originated in a kitchen.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid floral tributes to the bodies of the victims of the fire tragedy in Kuwait, who arrived at the Cochin International Airport on Friday.