From a father-of-two preparing to leave his job to a 29-year-old planning a family visit in August, two dozen Indians from Kerala perished in a fire that swept through a workers’ housing block in Kuwait, leaving many families heartbroken.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday that 40 Indians lost their lives in the blaze in Kuwait’s Mangaf city, which also claimed the lives of at least nine others, including three from the Philippines.

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah al-Yahya reported on Thursday that an additional death due to injuries raised the toll to at least 50.

Over 50 workers were wounded, some severely, but the Kuwaiti government couldn’t immediately confirm their nationalities.

A significant portion of Kuwait’s over four million residents consists of foreigners, many hailing from South and Southeast Asia, working in construction and services and often living in congested conditions.

Many Indian workers in the Gulf region come from Kerala, a densely populated area along southern India’s Arabian Sea coast.

In Kerala, Norka Roots, an agency for state residents living abroad, confirmed 24 deaths from the state. The federal government arranged a special flight to repatriate the bodies, according to Norka secretary K Vasuki.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed on X that the country is doing everything possible to aid those affected by this tragic fire. The next of kin will receive compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,400), as stated by his office.

India’s junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, traveled to Kuwait on an Indian Air Force plane to assist survivors and facilitate the repatriation of remains. He mentioned that DNA tests are being conducted to identify victims as some bodies were charred beyond recognition.

‘State of shock’

News of the calamity spread quickly in Kerala. Among the Keralites who perished was Muralidharan Nair, who had worked in Kuwait for 32 years, with the last decade spent as a senior supervisor in the company that owned the burned building.

“He was on leave in December planning to retire but was recalled by the company,” his brother Vinu V Nair explained, adding that the family identified the 61-year-old's name from a list provided by India’s embassy. His two roommates also died in the fire.

Saju Varghese, 56, had emigrated to Kuwait 21 years ago and was organizing his daughter’s higher education during an upcoming visit to Kerala. His family learned of the fire from media sources and validated his death through friends and relatives in Kuwait.

"The family is in a state of shock," noted their neighbor George Samuel.

Another casualty, 29-year-old engineer Stephin Abraham Sabu, had been calling home frequently since moving to Kuwait in 2019. He had plans to return in August to assist with his family’s housewarming and to purchase a new car. His father runs a small shop, and his mother is a housewife, while his brother Febin also works in Kuwait but lives separately.

Although Kuwaiti authorities have not officially disclosed the nationalities of all who died, Philippine migrant workers minister Leo Cacdac confirmed that three Filipinos were among the deceased. Two more Filipino workers are in critical condition in the hospital.

The building’s owner has been detained for potential negligence, with warnings that any buildings not adhering to safety standards will be shut down.

This blaze has been one of the deadliest incidents seen in Kuwait, a nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia and holding around 7 percent of the world's oil reserves. A previous catastrophe in 2009 had resulted in 57 deaths when a woman set fire to a wedding tent out of revenge.