Lucknow/Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh): Family members of those who died in the tragedy involving a devastating fire that engulfed a multi-storey building in Kuwait's Mangaf city, claiming the lives of over 40 Indians, are yet to come to terms with the grief of losing near and dear ones. Among the deceased are three residents of Uttar Pradesh, identified as Praveen Madhav Singh from Varanasi, and Jairam Gupta and Angad Gupta from Gorakhpur.
Promptly responding to the crisis, the Yogi government has sprung into action, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issuing instructions to top state officials to communicate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Kuwait. The majority of the deceased hail from Kerala and Tamil Nadu besides loss of lives of three people from Uttar Pradesh.
Two of the Kuwait fire victims were from Gorakhpur and the district administration got information about this late on Thursday evening. The victims' family members, who came to know about the tragedy, were terrified and are crying inconsolably. The two Gorakhpur victims include Jai Ram Gupta of Bhammaur village of Gulriha police station area, who went to Kuwait in 2023 to earn a living. His family lives in a new house built in the village.
When this incident happened in Kuwait and they came to know about it, the family members called Jairam's friends and got information about it. They came to know that his health is bad and he is admitted in ICU. But when the administration confirmed Jairam's death late on Thursday evening and informed the family about it, there was chaos in the entire family and the village. People are cursing the time when death engulfed 50 people including the head of their family.
Jairam's wife Sunita runs a clothes shop in the same house where his family lives. Apart from his wife, the family has a 14-year-old son Arnav and a 9-year-old daughter Shreya. The administration informed Jairam's elder brother Ramdas about his death. After this, the villagers and his relatives started arriving to know about his well-being.
The second Gorakhpur victim was Angad Gupta, who lived in Mithai Lal's house in Jaatepur of Gorakhnath police station area. The administration informed the family members about the tragedy on Thursday evening. Angad's family consists of his wife Rita and three children. Angad's father has passed away and his family lives in a separate part from his younger brother.
The last time the family spoke to Angad Gupta was on Tuesday. During the conversation, he enquired about the well-being of the family and told the children to concentrate on their studies. Daughter Anshika is very sad. She says that now who will ask about her studies, how will she study.
Wife Sarita says, when she came to know about the incident, she started calling her husband. Her husband, who was always online, had gone offline. When there was no conversation, she started getting suspicious and when she got the news of his death, her whole world was destroyed.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who was dispatched to oversee assistance to the injured and facilitate the repatriation of the deceased, separately met the Gulf nation's foreign minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Al-Sabah and Health Minister Ahmad Abdelwahab Ahmad Al-Awadi.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also engaged with his Kuwait counterpart, urging swift repatriation of the deceased and ensuring necessary medical attention for the injured. Ambassador of India in Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika, visited the site of the incident and hospitals to assess the situation. The embassy has also established a helpline for families seeking information and assistance.
As the nation mourns the loss of its citizens in this calamity, efforts are underway to provide support and assistance to the affected families.
