Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and acting Interior Minister, Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah speaks with Kuwaiti police officers in front of a burnt building following a deadly fire, in Mangaf, southern Kuwait, on June 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Kuwaiti government will give $15,000 each to the families of the victims of the devastating fire that killed 50 people, including 46 Indians, in the southern Ahmadi Governorate, according to a media report on June 18.

The massive fire which occurred at a seven-storey building in the city of Mangaf on July 12 was caused by an electrical short circuit in the guard’s room on the structure’s ground floor, according to Kuwaiti authorities.

The building was home to 196 migrant workers, mostly Indians.

Also read | The Kafala system will continue to treat workers as dispensable

On the orders of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the victims’ families will receive compensation amounting to $15,000 each, the Arab Times newspaper reported.

Citing government sources, the newspaper said the compensation payments will be processed and delivered to the victims’ embassies.

Three other deceased were Filipinos, and the identity of one of the victims has not been established.

The concerned embassies will then ensure that the funds are distributed to the families of those affected by the fire, expediting the process and ensuring that the assistance reaches the victims’ families promptly and efficiently, it said.

“This financial aid aims to support the bereaved families during this difficult time,” the newspaper said.

Kuwait’s public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the incident. The probe aims to uncover the circumstances behind the incident, and what might have triggered the deadly fire, the public prosecutor said on X.

A Kuwaiti citizen and several foreigners have been arrested in connection with charges of manslaughter and causing injuries due to negligence in security and safety measures following the fire incident.