KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait: More than 41 people were killed and dozens injured in a tragic building fire in an area heavily populated with foreign workers, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry reported on Wednesday.
The blaze, which erupted at dawn in a residential building south of Kuwait City, resulted in 43 injuries, the Health Ministry confirmed. Major General Eid Al-Owaihan, director of the Interior Ministry’s General Department of Criminal Evidence, stated, “Unfortunately, we received a report of a fire at… exactly 6:00 am (0300 GMT) in the Mangaf area.”
Owaihan added, “As for the deaths in the building behind me, the number has exceeded 35 so far.” Forensic teams have so far identified three of the bodies.
According to a source in the General Fire Department, the victims suffocated from rising smoke after the fire broke out on the ground floor. The building’s owner has been detained as part of an investigation into potential negligence, Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef revealed during his visit to the scene.
This devastating incident highlights the urgent need for improved safety measures in residential buildings, particularly those housing a large number of foreign workers. The Kuwaiti authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire and prevent such tragedies in the future.
