Kuwait Fire Tragedy: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday urged for stringent precautions to prevent a recurrence of the recent fire tragedy in Kuwait and expressed confidence that the Gulf nation would take appropriate action against those responsible. Speaking at the fourth edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha, held in the capital, Vijayan lauded the Kuwaiti government's response to the incident and stressed the need for effective intervention to ascertain the cause.


"If the incident was due to the failure to adhere to precautionary norms, then we hope that the Kuwaiti government will take action against those responsible," the Chief Minister stated as quoted by news agency PTI. "The initial steps taken by them indicate that they will follow up on this matter seriously," he added.


The three-day Loka Kerala Sabha, which was initially scheduled to commence on June 13, was truncated to two days following the tragic incident. The event, featuring representatives from 103 countries, was inaugurated only on Friday afternoon as the Chief Minister and other ministers were in Kochi in the morning to receive the mortal remains of 31 Indians, including 23 Keralites, who perished in the June 12 blaze.


Reflecting on the emotional scenes at the airport, Vijayan remarked, "What we saw today while paying tributes to the deceased still troubles our minds. It was the cry of a father who lost his son... There were many other such stories."


Emphasising the need for adequate compensation for the bereaved families, Vijayan noted, "Whatever compensation is given to the bereaved families, it would never be able to replace the loss of a loved one. Nevertheless, sufficient financial assistance has to be given to them. We hope the Kuwaiti government will take steps for that. The Indian government should get in touch with them to expedite the same."


The Chief Minister also called for organisations obligated to provide compensation to fulfil their responsibilities, urging timely interventions from the Government of India to ensure this, PTI reported.


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Kerala CM, Congress Question Centre's Denial of Permission for Minister Veena George's Kuwait Visit


The Union government's decision to deny permission to Kerala Health Minister Veena George to travel to Kuwait to coordinate relief efforts has ignited a heated debate, drawing criticism from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Congress-led opposition, while receiving support from Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum Suresh Gopi.


Vijayan criticised the denial of political clearance to state Health Minister Veena George to travel to Kuwait to assist with relief efforts. "In such situations, both the Centre and the state government should work together with the same mindset. Not doing so in such situations is inappropriate," he stated, according to PTI.


"The minister had come here (Kochi), but could not travel due to a lack of political clearance. I am not raising it as a serious issue presently. It can be discussed later," he added.


Governor Khan justified the Centre's stance, questioning the necessity of George's visit. "When the bodies of the deceased were being brought on Friday, what would George have achieved by going there on Thursday? If you go yesterday and then come back again today, what will be the actual work which will be done there? Already the government of India ministers were in Kuwait and they were bringing the bodies today. So, a few hours are between yesterday and today. What will you achieve there even if you were able to reach there? These things should not be unnecessarily pursued," he remarked, as quoted by PTI.


Echoing similar sentiments, Suresh Gopi dismissed the controversy, assuring that the situation was well-managed. "People who are at the helm of affairs when it comes to diplomatic transactions and connections are into it. Do not be worried. They are also capable. We have our own contingent working there to help the injured Indians. It is the duty of the government of India," he stated, as per PTI.


Conversely, the opposition Congress shared the Chief Minister's disapproval. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan expressed disappointment over the denial. "It was unfortunate that the state health minister was not allowed to travel to Kuwait. A representative of the state government would have helped to better coordinate the relief efforts. The state's representative would also have been able to help the Union government carry out the relief efforts. The Central government ought to have immediately given clearance to the state health minister. It was a wrong message from the Centre's side," he criticised, as quoted by PTI.


Minister Veena George voiced her frustration on Thursday night, stating, "What we just sought from the Central government was the permission to travel to Kuwait to stand with our people affected by the tragedy and coordinate activities there. That permission is denied."


The state government had planned to dispatch George to Kuwait to assist with the relief efforts, including the treatment of the injured and the repatriation of the deceased. She reportedly waited for hours at the airport, hoping for permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.


Tragically, officials reported that 49 people were killed in the fire at the Al-Mangaf building on June 12, with 45 of them being Indians. The building, located in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area, housed around 195 migrant workers.


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Plane Carrying Bodies Of Kuwait Fire Victims Arrives In Delhi


Meanwhile, an IAF aircraft carrying the bodies of 14 of the 45 Indian victims landed in Delhi from Kerala's Kochi on Friday evening. The C-130J aircraft had earlier arrived at Kochi international airport around 10.30 am, where 31 bodies were received by Central and state ministers, including Chief Minister Vijayan. The remaining 14 bodies were then transported to Delhi. Newly elected MPs Yogender Chandolia and Kamaljeet Sehrawat were present at the airport to receive the bodies with due solemnity.






The special IAF aircraft had departed for Kochi from Kuwait on Friday morning. The devastating fire in the seven-storey building in Kuwait's Mangaf resulted in the death of at least 49 foreign workers and left 50 others injured.