Kuwait fire: IAF flight carrying mortal remains of 45 Indians lands in Kochi

NEW DELHI: An Indian Air Force flight carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indians who died in the Kuwait fire incident landed in Kochi on Friday.
Accompanying the remains was Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh who flew to Kuwaiti on Thursday to work with the authorities to ensure the swift repatriation process.
At least 49 migrant workers were killed and 50 others injured in the blaze in southern Kuwait's Mangaf on Wednesday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed Singh to travel to Kuwait on an urgent basis to oversee assistance to the Indians injured in the fire.
The India Air Force had sent a C-130J transport aircraft to Kuwait on Thursday night to bring back the bodies.
Out of the 45 Indians killed in the fire incident, 23 were from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three each from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, two from Odisha and one each from Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Haryana, according to the embassy.
The embassy also said the mortal remains would be handed over to the respective state government representatives in Kochi and Delhi.
Kuwaiti authorities handed over the mortal remains after conducting DNA tests on bodies as part of the identification process. Earlier MoS Singh had said that some bodies were charred beyond recognition.
According to report, the fire was caused by an electrical circuit.
The Kuwaiti authorities said they identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the fire.
The Embassy of India in Kuwaithas a dedicated helpline, +965-65505246 (available via WhatsApp and regular calls) to assist family members seeking information and support. The helpline will be regularly updated with the latest information.