India’s embassy in Kuwait received over 16000 complaints from Indian citizens working there between March 2021 and December 2023, mostly about delays in payment of salaries, substandard accommodation, and harassment.
A major fire in Kuwait's Mangaf area killed 49 workers yesterday morning, many of whom were Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and northern Indian states. The blaze began in a kitchen of a six-storey building housing 160 workers.
What caused the fire and in what conditions do workers in Gulf countries?
An Early Morning Nightmare
Officials said that most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation as the residents were asleep when the fire broke out early Wednesday. The fire broke out in a kitchen on one of the lower floors of the building in the Mangaf area in Kuwait's southern Ahmadi Governorate. According to Arab Times, most of the deceased were from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and north Indian states, with their age ranging from 20 to 50 years.
A Result Of Greed
Kuwait's deputy prime minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, who is also the minister of interior, visited the site and said the fire mishap was a “result of the greed of the company and building owners”. He has ordered police to arrest the owner of the building, the building's janitor, as well as the owner of the company responsible for the workers.
The building is rented by the NBTC group, reportedly owned by Malayali businessman KG Abraham. Low-paid, blue-collar workers in the Gulf often live in overcrowded accommodations.
What Is India Doing About It?
MoS ministry of external affairs - Kirti Vardhan Singh and his team reached Kuwait this morning to oversee the relief operations and coordinate with local authorities for early repatriation of mortal remains of those who have died in the incident.
Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika, visited the site of the incident in Mangaf as well as the hospitals where the victims were admitted. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has put in place an emergency helpline number (+965-65505246) to connect for updates.
Indian Community in Kuwait
Indians make up 21% (1 million) of Kuwait's population and 30% (approximately 900,000) of its workforce. Kuwait, a country with a population of approximately 4.2 million, holds the world's sixth-largest known oil reserves.
The nation has faced similar incidents in the past, including a fire at an oil refinery in 2022 that resulted in four fatalities. India’s embassy in Kuwait received over 16000 complaints from Indian citizens working there between March 2021 and December 2023, mostly about delays in payment of salaries, substandard accommodation, and harassment.
With this incident, the focus is now back on the difficult working and living conditions that people traveling to the West Asia nations in search of livelihood have to reconcile with.
Over 1400 Indians – mostly blue-collared workers, died in Kuwait in the past two years. Main reasons are - Unnatural heart attacks, extreme heat, and suicides due to harassment. More or less, the story is the same in every Gulf nation where 100s of workers die unnatural deaths every year.
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