Kuwait fire mishap: Kalaburagi native among 49 killed; mortal remains to reach home today

Team Udayavani, Jun 14, 2024, 9:43 AM IST

A Kalaburagi native was among those killed in the tragic fire mishap that claimed 49 lives in Kuwait on Wednesday.

Vijayakumar Prasanna (41) from Sarasamba village in Aland taluk was employed in Kuwait as a truck driver for the past ten years. It is gathered that he had visited his hometown a year ago.

Prasanna is survived by his wife, three children, and his parents, who have not yet been informed of his demise.

Aland Tehsildar and the Police Inspector visited Sarasamba village to convey the tragic news to Vijayakumar’s brother, Satish.

Minister Priyank Kharge announced that all arrangements have been made to bring the body of the deceased, a native of Kalaburagi, back to India.

The state government is supporting the family in this matter. Minister Kharge stated that he is in continuous contact with the authorities and the Kalaburagi District Commissioner to ensure the repatriation of the deceased’s body.

The special flight carrying the bodies of 31 Indians — 23 Keralites, seven Tamil Nadu natives, and one Karnataka resident is expected to reach the Cochin International Airport around 10.30 am on Friday morning. An official from the taluk health department and a CPI officer have been sent to Kochi to receive Prasanna’s mortal remains.

The body will be transported from Kochi to Hyderabad by air and then taken to Sarasamba village by ambulance.

Officials had said that 49 people were killed in the fire in the Al-Mangaf building and 42 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.

(with PTI inputs)