By In a tragic incident, at least 41 people lost their lives when a fire engulfed a building that housed workers in Kuwait early Wednesday morning. Officials suspect that the deadly blaze is linked to code violations and have ordered the arrest of the building’s owner.
Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah confirmed the death toll during a visit to the site in the southern Mangaf district. Local media reported that the minister vowed to address the issue of labor overcrowding and deal with the property owner. “We will address the issue of labor overcrowding,” he said. “I’m now going to see what violations were committed here, and I will deal with the owner of the property.”
According to local media, scores of workers were living in the building, although their nationalities were not specified. Col. Sayed Hassan al-Mousawi, head of the firefighters’ Accident Investigation Department, stated that there were dozens of casualties and that the final death toll could be even higher.
Kuwait, like other Persian Gulf countries, has a significant community of migrant workers who vastly outnumber the local population. The nation, which is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of New Jersey, has a population of approximately 4.2 million people and possesses the world’s sixth-largest known oil reserves.
This is not the first time Kuwait has experienced a deadly fire. In 2022, a fire at an oil refinery claimed the lives of four people.
The tragic incident in Mangaf highlights the need for improved safety measures and stricter enforcement of building codes to protect the lives of workers and prevent such devastating losses in the future. As authorities investigate the cause of the fire and the alleged code violations, the nation mourns the loss of the victims and extends its condolences to their families and loved ones.
