The bodies of 45 Indian workers who died in a fire at a labor housing facility in Kuwait were flown back to India on Friday, June 14.
Bereaved relatives and advocates urged New Delhi to enhance protections for citizens working abroad who contribute significantly to the economy through remittances.
An electrical short circuit is believed to have sparked the fire on Wednesday, June 12, in the housing facility located in Mangaf, a coastal city south of Kuwait City.
The Indian workers were among 49 people who died in the blaze, while an additional 33 individuals are receiving treatment in hospitals.
Families of the deceased gathered at the airport to receive the bodies. Upon arrival, coffins were placed with photographs of the deceased on separate tables in the cargo complex of the airport.
Twenty-three of the 45 victims were from the southern Indian state of Kerala. The state’s chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, described the incident as “the biggest tragedy.”
