An uneasy silence hung over the import cargo terminal of the airport here on Friday morning as authorities made arrangements to receive the bodies of 31 Indians who lost their lives in a tragic building fire in Kuwait two days ago.

Ambulances were stationed at the terminal to carry the victims' bodies to their homes.

The special flight carrying the bodies of 23 Keralites, seven Tamil Nadu natives, and one Karnataka resident is expected to reach the Cochin International Airport around 10.30 am, Deputy Inspector General, Ernakulam Range, Putta Vimaladitya told the media.

India had on Thursday night sent a military transport aircraft to Kuwait to bring back the mortal remains of over 40 Indians killed in the fire.

A Kerala Police pilot vehicle will be deputed to accompany all ambulances carrying the bodies, including those going to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Vimaladitya said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and ministers K Rajan, P Rajeeve and Veena George will receive the bodies at the airport.

Authorities have arranged special podiums to keep the bodies where the ministers and others will pay their respects.

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.

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