Kuwait fire: Jaishankar seeks return of bodies after about 40 Indians killed

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday night spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya and urged him to ensure early repatriation of the mortal remains of those killed in a devastating fire in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area.

Around 40 Indians are understood to have died and over 50 injured in the blaze in a building housing around 195 migrant workers, officials said.

"Spoke to Kuwaiti FM Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on the fire tragedy in Kuwait. Apprised of the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities in that regard. Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed," Jaishankar said on 'X'.

"Urged the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives. He emphasised that those injured were getting the requisite medical attention," he said.

"We will review the situation after MoS @KVSinghMPGonda reaches Kuwait tomorrow," he said.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh is urgently travelling to Kuwait following a direction from Prime Minister Narendra Modi primarily to oversee assistance to Indians injured in the fire and to ensure early repatriation of mortal remains of those killed.