The bodies of 45 Indian workers, who perished in a massive fire in Mangaf, were repatriated this morning. An Indian Air Force special aircraft landed in Kochi, Kerala, delivering 31 bodies of workers from three southern states before departing for Delhi with the remaining 14 bodies.

The Indian embassy in Kuwait reported that the victims included 23 from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three each from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, two from Odisha, and one each from Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Haryana.

In Kochi, the bodies of workers from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka were handed over to their families and transported to their homes in ambulances.

Gonda MP Kirti Vardhan Singh, who rushed to Kuwait shortly after assuming his role as a junior minister in the foreign ministry, stated that the paperwork, which typically takes at least ten days, was expedited due to instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I would like to thank the authorities for their full cooperation. Identification and paperwork were completed in a remarkably short time, which usually takes a week or more. On PM Modi’s instructions, the process was expedited,” said the minister, who returned today on the special aircraft.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister Suresh Gopi, and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan were also present at the airport.

A massive fire broke out in a six-story building in Mangaf city on Wednesday, claiming 49 lives. The bodies were charred beyond recognition, necessitating DNA testing for identification. Authorities identified 48 bodies, including 45 Indians and three Filipinos, one body is still to be identified, according to Mr. Al-Sabah.

PM Modi, who reviewed the tragic incident, announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of those who died in the Kuwait fire.

The local administration in Kuwait is also investigating how more than 160 people were residing in the building.