Five From Tamil Nadu Dead in Kuwait Fire Tragedy, Says State Minister KS Masthan

Five people from Tamil Nadu were killed in the Kuwait fire incident. State Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, KS Masthan quoted the information from the Tamil associations based abroad and said that it would take time to identify the deceased.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, KS Masthan on Thursday said that 5 people from the state have died in the Kuwait fire incident. Masthan quoted the information from the Tamil associations based abroad and said that it would take time to identify the deceased.

"Five Tamilians died in Kuwait Mangaf tragedy. We got this information from Tamil Sangam in Kuwait, not officially from the Indian Embassy. As this is a fire tragedy it will take time to identify the deceased. When official information comes we will take measures to shift the body from Kuwait to their native in Tamil Nadu," Masthan said.

The minister told reporters that deceased belonged to Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Villupuram regions of the state and were identified as Rama Karuppan, Veerasamy Mariyappan, Chinnadurai Krishanamoorthy, Mohammad Sharif, and Gunaf Richard Rai. "Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has ordered our department to monitor the situation continuously. Nothing to fear, the government will do all the help," Masthan said.

Chief Minister MK Stalin offered condolences following the death of at least 40 Indians in the major fire incident at a labour housing facility in the Mangaf area of Kuwait on June 12. "I was shocked and saddened to hear the news that more than 40 Indians have died in a fire in the building where the workers were staying in Mangab, Kuwait. It is with a heavy heart that I offer my deepest condolences and condolences to the families of all the deceased," Stalin said in a post on X.

All the injured are being treated in hospitals in Kuwait, Stalin said, adding that the Ministry of External Affairs is in constant touch with the Indian Embassy and Tamil associations there. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, at least 40 Indians died and over 50 others were injured in the fire incident.

The MEA said that the people who have sustained injuries are undergoing treatment in five government hospitals--Adan, Jaber, Farwaniya, Mubarak Al Kabeer, and Jahra--in Kuwait.