Thiruvananthpuram: At least 14 Keralites have been identified among those killed in the deadly fire at the labour camp in Kuwait on Wednesday, sources said. Around 30 of more than 50 injured are also said to be Keralites. At least 49 people died in the tragic fire incident in a building in the southern city of Mangaf.
The Keralites killed in the mishap have been identified as Shameer Umaruddin, 30 of Sooranad in Kollam, K. Ranjith, 34, of Chengala area of Kasaragod, Kelu Ponmaleri, 58, of Pilikode, Kasaragod, Stephin Abraham Sabu, 29 of Pampadi in Kottayam, Akash Sasidharan Nair, 31 of Pathanamthitta, Sajan George, 29, of Punalur in Kollam, Saju Varghese, 56, of Konni in Pathanamthitta, P.V. Muralidharan, 68 of Vazhamuttom in Pathanamthitta, Luka, Sabu, 48 of Velichikkala in Kollam, Thomas Oommen, 37, of Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta, Vishwas Krishnan of Dharmadam, Kannur, Nooha of Tirur in Malappuram, Bahuleyan, 36 of Pulamanthol in Thrissur and Sreehari Pradeep, 27 of Changanassery in Kottayam.
An official said that bodies will be flown to India through the Air Force aircraft.
Head of investigations at Kuwait Fire Department Col Sayed Al-Mousawi has said that investigation has revealed that the inflammable material used as partitions between apartments and also between rooms caused the huge black clouds of smoke with many of the victims suffocating while trying to run down the stairs. The victims could not go to the rooftop because the door was locked as per officials.
Deputy Premier, Defence and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah has ordered the arrest of the Kuwaiti landlord of the building and the Egyptian guard of the building and warned officials not to release them without his permission.
