WORLD : In a heart-wrenching incident, a catastrophic fire engulfed a building in the Kuwait Mangaf area, leading to the tragic loss of 49 lives, including around 40 Indian workers. The blaze, which occurred on Wednesday in the early hours of the day, has left over 50 individuals injured, receiving medical attention across five government hospitals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the families of the deceased Indian nationals. Furthermore, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, traveled to Kuwait to oversee aid efforts and liaise with local authorities.

On the other hand, the building, owned by KG Abraham’s NBTC group, was primarily a labor housing facility, accommodating employees of the same company. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is actively coordinating with local authorities and the company to ascertain the full extent of the incident and provide necessary assistance. (with inputs from media agencies)