Kuwait Fire: Bodies Of 14 Indians, Including 2 From Odisha, Flown To Delhi From Kochi

New Delhi: An Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, carrying the bodies of 14 of Indians who died in a deadly fire at a building in Kuwait on Wednesday, landed at Delhi’s Palam Technical airport on Friday evening.

In the morning, a C-130J aircraft brought the mortal remains of all 45 Indians who lost their lives in Mangaf city from Kuwait to Kochi International airport around 10.30 am.

Thirty-one bodies were received at the airport by Central and state ministers, including

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other Central and state ministers received 31 bodies who were from the southern states of Kerala (23 victims) Tamil Nadu (7) and Karnataka (1).

The remaining 14 bodies, were sent to Delhi in the same aircraft as a domestic flight from Kochi, airport authorities said.

Two of the victims are from Odisha, identified as Santosh Kumar Gouda and Mahammad Jahur. They will be flown from Delhi to Bhubaneswar.

Also Read: CM Mohan Majhi Mourns Death Of 2 Odias In Kuwait Blaze; Bodies To Arrive In Odisha Today

Newly-elected BJP MPs Yogendra Chandolia, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Bansuri Swaraj and other leaders were present at Palam airport to receive the mortal remains of 14 victims.

They stood on the tarmac with folded hands to pay homage as the caskets were lowered from the aircraft one by one.

“It is a very sad incident… Our Foreign Minister spoke to the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, we met the Foreign Minister and Health Minister there, they cooperated with us a lot. We met the injured in the hospital, and most of the people will be discharged in 1-2 days, one person is serious and is admitted to ICU,” Union minister of state Kirti Vardhan Singh, who had flown to Kuwait on Narendra Modi’s instruction to coordinate with Kuwaiti authorities, was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Some people have fractures in their hands and legs, and they are being treated. Our embassy is constantly in touch with the injured and they are monitoring the situation… The Kuwait government has been cooperative due to which we have been able to bring the bodies of the deceased here so quickly,” Singh added.

The Indians were among 49 foreign workers killed while 50 others were injured in the devastating fire which broke out at the seven-storeyed building where 196 migrant workers were staying in the southern Kuwaiti city of Mangaf.