Seven Tamils feared dead in Kuwait building fire accident

Chennai: At least seven people from the state are feared dead in a tragic fire incident which took place in a building in Kuwait, Tamil Nadu government said on Thursday.

The state government said the news of their death has been ascertained through Tamil associations in Kuwait but there is no official confirmation in this regard from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

 All the seven were staying at the said labour housing facility in the southern city of Mangaf and they have not been reachable since Wednesday evening when a fire that is believed to have originated from a kitchen of the seven-storied building engulfed the premises.

K S Mathan, Tamil Nadu Minister for Minorities and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, said Karupannan Ramu, Veerasamy Mariappan, Chinnadurai Krishnamoorthy, Mohammed Sharif, and Kunaf Richard Rai are believed to have either charred to death or died due to breathlessness.

 “We have got this information through Tamil Sangams in Kuwait. We are in close touch with the local associations to ascertain how many people from Tamil Nadu are affected due to the fire accident,” Masthan said, adding that his department is also coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs.

He said since some of the bodies are charred to death beyond recognition, it will take some time to identify their bodies and bring them home. Masthan also added that Chief Minister M K Stalin discussed the issue with officials on Thursday morning.