Kuwait fire accident: Tragedy beyond words, hope it never happens again, says Kerala Governor

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Friday said the Kuwait fire incident was a tragedy beyond words and hoped that something like it never happens again in future.

Speaking to reporters, Khan also stated that there is a need for long-term thinking about why individuals are forced to leave their home and hearth to find work overseas.

"They have no option but to go abroad seeking jobs, because locally there are no opportunities available. So, we need to do some long-term thinking," he said.

Khan also stated that now was not the time for long-term thinking.

"This is the time when we have to sympathise with the bereaved families and honestly, I am at a loss for words. This is such a serious and heart-rending tragedy, that one does not know what to say," Khan said.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) flight carrying the mortal remains of the 45 Indians killed in the fire landed at Cochin International Airport at 10:30 a.m.

Central and state ministers and political leaders received the remains of 31 people, including 23 from Kerala, 7 from Tamil Nadu, and one from Karnataka, at the airport.

According to officials, 49 persons were killed in the June 12 fire at the Al-Mangaf building, 45 of them were Indian. The rest were Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, and Nepalese nationals.

The building in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area housed around 195 migrant workers. PTI