Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has left to oversee the relief of Indians injured in the massive fire in a building in Kuwait and to ensure the repatriation of the bodies of those killed. Earlier, Singh said that some of the bodies were so burnt that they could not be identified. Vardhan said, "The rest of the situation will become clear when we reach there."
DNA tests will be done to identify the victims
Speaking to ANI at the Delhi airport before flying to Kuwait, the Minister of State said, We had a meeting with the Prime Minister last evening, this is the last update we have about this very sad tragedy... The rest of the situation will be clear when we reach there.
When asked about the plan to bring back the bodies of those who lost their lives, he said, the situation is that most of the victims are burnt and some bodies are so burnt that they cannot be identified. Therefore, DNA tests are being conducted to identify the victims.
The Minister of State said an Air Force plane is on standby. As soon as the bodies are identified, the families will be informed and our Air Force aircraft will bring back the bodies.
According to the latest figures we received last night, the number of casualties is 48-49, of which 42 or 43 are reported to be Indians, he said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait is in touch with the local authorities to provide relief to those affected by the incident.
Family members can call this helpline number
The Embassy has set up a helpline +965-65505246 (WhatsApp and regular call) (Kuwait Helpline Number) to contact family members. Regular updates are being provided through the helpline.
Earlier, soon after the news of the fire incident in Kuwait broke, Prime Minister Modi chaired a review meeting and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to the families of the deceased Indian nationals.
Announcement of ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PM Relief Fund
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over this unfortunate incident and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. He wished speedy recovery to the injured and assured all possible assistance from the Government of India.
According to the official statement of the Prime Minister's Office, the meeting was chaired at his residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi.
The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM Relief Fund, the statement said.
Ex-gratia of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pramod Kumar Mishra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
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