Kuwait fire: Tragedy beyond words, hope it never happens again, says Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan

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. Khan, speaking to reporters, also said that there was a need to do some long-term thinking regarding why people are forced to go abroad for employment leaving their home and hearth behind.

"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 said that now was not the time to do 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 who died in the fire landed at the Cochin international airport around 10.30 am.

Of them, remains of 31 -- 23 from Kerala, 7 from Tamil Nadu and one from Karnataka -- were received at the airport by Central and state ministers and political leaders.

Officials on Thursday had said that 49 people were killed in the fire in the Al-Mangaf building on June 12 and 45 of them were Indians. The remaining were Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Nepali nationals.

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