Kuwait cracks down on illegal constructions; bodies of 6 fire victims reach home

The mortal remains of several Indians who died in a devastating fire in Kuwait on Wednesday (June 12) were taken to their homes in various parts of the country on Saturday (June 15) even that country launched a crackdown on illegal property extensions.

Denny Karunakaran, 33, from Mumbai

The mortal remains of Denny Karunakaran, 33, one of the 45 Indians killed in the fire, arrived in Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday (June 15).

The remains were kept in a mortuary, and the last rites would be performed on Sunday, said his father, Baby Kutty, a resident of Malwani in the western suburbs.

Kutty said Denny had travelled to Kuwait four years ago and was an accounts and sales coordinator with NBTC.

"I spoke to him around two months ago, and we had planned to fix his marriage. I met him two years ago. He was looking to buy a flat and was working hard. His death has come as a shock to his family, friends, and neighbours," the distraught father said.

Himat Rai, 62, from Hoshiarpur

The mortal remains of Himat Rai, 62, were brought to Hoshiarpur and have been kept in a mortuary in the village Singriwala on Saturday (June 15). The cremation will take place on June 17 as his family is waiting for some relatives to come from abroad.

The family of Rai lives in Kakkon, a suburb of Hoshiarpur city. Rai, who was the sole breadwinner of his family, is survived by his wife, two married daughters, and a minor son.

He had left India about 28 to 30 years ago and joined the NBTC firm in Kuwait to earn his livelihood. He was working as a foreman in the fabrication department of NBTC, the family stated.

Muhammad Jahur and Santosh Kumar Gouda from Odisha

The bodies of Muhammad Jahur and Santosh Kumar Gouda from Odisha arrived in Bhubaneswar on Saturday morning (June 15). They were later taken to their native villages where their family members would perform the last rites.

Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo said that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

Earlier, the chief minister expressed grief over the death of two Odisha natives in the fire incident.

Gouda hailed from Ranajhalli village in Purosottampur block of Ganjam district, while Jahur was a native of Karadapalli village in Tigiria police station area in Cuttack district. They were working for a private company and residing in the seven-storey apartment building where the fire broke out.

Jahur's family members said he was married for only two years and his wife was seven-months pregnant. He had been working in Kuwait since 2017 and had visited his village only a month ago.

Similarly, Gouda had visited his village in March and had returned to Kuwait in April.

Dwarikesh Pattanayak, 52, from West Bengal

The body of Dwarikesh Pattanayak, 52, was brought back to his native West Bengal and taken to his home in Paschim Medinipur district on Saturday morning (June 15).

A pall of gloom descended upon Turka Garh village where hundreds of people waited to have a last glimpse of Pattanayak, who had left his home for Kuwait at an early age of 19 and was working as a mechanical supervisor in the West Asian country.

Md Ali Hussain, 24, from Jharkhand

In Jharkhand, the mortal remains of Md Ali Hussain were brought to the Hindpiri area in the capital Ranchi on Saturday morning (June 15), an official said.

Ali, 24, the youngest among three siblings, went to the west Asian country around 20 days ago, his father Mubarak Hussain (57) said. Mubarak said his son stepped out of the country for the first time to support his family.

His family members, relatives, and friends broke down after Ali's mortal remains reached the locality.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren expressed grief over the demise of Ali in the Kuwait fire tragedy. He announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. Ranchi DC provided the cheque of ₹5 lakh to the family members on Saturday (June 15).

At least 49 foreign workers, 45 of them Indians, were killed and 50 others injured in the fire at a seven-storey building in Kuwait's Mangaf on Wednesday (June 12). The remaining deceased were Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, and Nepali nationals.

The building in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area housed around 196 migrant workers.

Last rites of four Keralites held

The last rites of four Keralites, out of the 23 who lost their lives in the fire, were held at their respective hometowns in Kerala on Saturday where hundreds came to bid adieu.

The funerals of 12 Keralites were held on Friday itself.

The funerals of Lucas and Sajan George from Kollam, Aneesh Kumar from Kannur and Akash S Nair from Pathanamthitta were held on Saturday. Six people from Pathanamthitta district lost their lives in the incident.

Minister Saji Cheriyan, Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar and various religious leaders took part in the funeral of Akash, a Pandalam resident.

The funerals of the remaining seven people will be held in the coming days, sources said.

Crackdown on illegal property extensions in Kuwait

Authorities in Kuwait have launched a crackdown on illegal property extensions in the wake of the devastating fire, according to the Arab Times on Saturday.

The incident triggered calls for action against real estate landlords and company owners who violate the law to house large numbers of foreign labourers in extremely unsafe conditions to cut costs.

This tragic incident has shed light on the long-standing issue of unauthorised modifications to buildings, prompting authorities to take decisive action to prevent such disasters in the future.

For years, the illegal conversion of property spaces has been a pervasive issue in Kuwait. Basement parking areas have been transformed into warehouses, while ground-floor open spaces have been converted into housing units and shops, all in the pursuit of additional income.

These modifications, often carried out without proper approval, compromise the safety and integrity of buildings, the paper said.

Fire was caused by electric short circuit

The investigation team of the fire department said on Thursday (June 13) that the fire was caused by an electric short circuit in the room of the building guard and spread to other places. The guard's room is located on the ground floor.

Citing security sources, the paper said that there were 179 workers inside the building when the fire broke out, while 17 were outside.

According to an official, many of the victims suffocated while trying to run down the stairs because they were filled with smoke. He added that the victims could not go to the rooftop because the door was locked.

NBTC Group extends condolences

NBTC Group, where the victims of the fire tragedy were employed, issued a statement, extending its deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and injured.

"We affirm our commitment to all the decisions and directives issued to ensure accountability for what led to this tragic incident," the paper quoted the statement as saying. "We continue to stay in close contact with the families of the deceased and injured," it said.

“The company is also working in coordination with the Ministry of Health and medical teams to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured until they fully recover,” it said.

"We also announce that immediate support will be provided to all the families of the victims and the affected, stemming from our social and humanitarian responsibility, and our belief in the necessity of assisting those affected in such difficult times," the statement said.

KG Abraham, a Kerala businessman based in Kuwait, is a partner and managing director of the firm.

(With agency inputs)