41 people die in fire at building housing workers in Kuwait
Jun 12, 2024
Mangaf [Kuwait], June 12 : A fire broke out in a building housing workers in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early on Wednesday, killing at least 41 people, Al Jazeera reported, citing authorities.
According to the Health Ministry, the blaze also injured dozens of people. The area is heavily populated with foreign labourers, but there was no immediate information on the nationality of the casualties.
After this tragic incident, Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad al-Yousuf al-Sabah paid a visit to the site and ordered the arrest of the building's owner, as per Al Jazeera.
"Unfortunately, the greed of real estate owners is what leads to these matters," said Sheikh Fahad, who also runs the interior and defence ministries.
Authorities reported that the fire was under control and the teams were investigating what caused it.
"The building in which the fire occurred was used to house workers, and there were a large number of workers there. Dozens were rescued, but unfortunately, there were many deaths as a result of inhaling smoke from the fire," Al Jazeera reported, citing a senior police commander's statement
"We always alert and warn against" cramming too many workers into housing accommodation, he said, without providing details on the workers' type of employment or place of origin.
