The Kuwaiti government will provide $15,000 (approximately Rs 12.50 lakh) in compensation to the families of the victims of a tragic fire at a building housing migrant workers, local news media outlets reported. The blaze led to 50 fatalities, including 46 Indians.
The fire broke out at the seven-storey building in Mangaf in the southern part of Kuwaiti capital, Kuwait City, on June 12. The reason for the fire was a short circuit in the guard’s room on the ground floor. The building was housing 196 migrant workers, most of whom were Indians.
Locals news media outlets said that the compensation will be distributed through embassies of the nations to which the deceased belonged and said that embassies will ensure that it reaches the desired recipients.
“The families of each victim in the Mangaf building fire will receive compensation of $15,000. The compensation will be distributed through the embassies of the deceased. The embassies will then ensure the funds reach the families,” Kuwaiti news media outlets reported.
Kuwaiti authorities on Thursday detained three people for suspected manslaughter over the building fire.
One Kuwaiti and two foreign residents have been detained on suspicion of manslaughter through negligence of security procedures and fire regulations, the public prosecution service said.
Three Filipinos were also among the dead, the Philippine government said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also promised help for those affected by the “gruesome fire tragedy”, and announced a Rs 200,000-ex-gratia ($2,400) payments to next of kin.
India’s junior foreign minister Kirti Vardhan Singh flew in to help survivors and organise the repatriation of remains on an Indian air force plane.
The blaze was one of the worst seen in Kuwait, which borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia and sits on about seven percent of the world’s known oil reserves.
Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef last week vowed to address “labour overcrowding and neglect”, and threatened to close any buildings that flout safety rules.
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