New Delhi: Several glaring lapses have come to fore in the Kuwait building fire which has claimed 50 lives so far, including 46 Indians, as per the preliminary investigation.
Around two dozen gas cylinders were found stored on the ground floor of the multi-storey building; inflammable materials like paper, cardboard and plastic were used as partitions to separate the workers in the cramped rooms, locked doors to the rooftop that did not allow workers to escape to the rooftop were among the lapses, as reported by a leading English daily.
Kuwait Building Housed 196 Migrants
Kuwaiti investigators began investigating the inferno that proved deadly for 50 people staying in the building, early Wednesday in an apartment building near Kuwait City.
According to officials, 46 of the 50 dead have been identified as Indians. About 50 others were injured in the blaze in the building that housed 196 migrant workers in Mangaf, south of Kuwait City.
Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh, accompanied by Adarsh Swaika, Indian ambassador to Kuwait, reviewed the situation and met some of the survivors and senior Kuwaiti government officials.
If sources are to be believed then the probable cause behind the inferno seems to be a short-circuit on the ground floor, which was aggravated by the gas cylinders stored in the kitchen.
Inflammable Material Stored in Rooms
The blaze is said to have spread rapidly in the building given every room, where a dozen or more people were staying, had enough inflammable material – paper, cardboard and plastic.
As the flames spread quickly, filling the floors with smoke, the workers attempted to get to the terrace. Since the door to the rooftop was locked, the migrants were engulfed by the inferno.
Sources revealed that in order to make the congested buildings more spacious, the structures in the area were modified internally which hindered the access for fire fighters. There are violations of the building code in Kuwait, the news daily reported.
The fire tragedy has prompted Kuwaiti authorities to crack down against builders and building owners.
Meanwhile, the special IAF aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indians who perished in the fire landed in Cochin International Airport. Mos Kirti Vardhan Singh also returned in the same aircraft. Soon after the tragedy, Prime Minister Modi held a meeting on Wednesday night to review the situation and announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of deceased Indian nationals. Kerala Chief Minister Pinaray Vijayan has demanded compensation for kin of victims by the Kuwaiti government.
Gas Cylinders, Inflammable Materials, Locked Terrace Door: Lapses Exposed in Kuwait Building Fire world-news World News | Latest International Global World News | Todays Breaking News Headlines
