As the military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force carrying the mortal remains of the 45 Indians who died in the fire in Kuwait’s Mangaf area landed at Cochin airport on Friday morning, a political controversy took flight.
The Congress in Kerala, which is in the Opposition in the southern state, criticised the Centre's decision denying permission to state health minister Veena George to travel to Kuwait to coordinate relief efforts for Malayalees affected by the tragic fire incident in the Gulf nation.
A total of 25 people from Kerala died in the inferno.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan said it was "unfortunate" that the state health minister was not allowed to travel to Kuwait.
"A representative of the state government would have helped to better coordinate the relief efforts. The state's representative would also have been able to help the Union government carry out the relief efforts,” he said.
"The Central government ought to have immediately given clearance to the state health minister. It was a wrong message from the Centre's side.”
Kerala minister waited for hours at airport
George on Thursday night said, "What we just sought from the Central government was the permission to travel to Kuwait to stand with our people affected by the tragedy and coordinate activities there. That permission is denied."
The state government had decided to send George to Kuwait to help with the relief efforts, including treatment for the injured and the repatriation of the deceased.
George reportedly waited for hours at the airport, hoping for permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Union minister of state in aircraft
The IAF sent a C-130J transport aircraft to Kuwait on Thursday night to bring back the bodies.
Union minister state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities for swift repatriation of the bodies, was onboard the aircraft.
From Kochi, the aircraft is to leave for Delhi as some of the Indians killed in the fire hailed from a few north and eastern Indian states.
Out of the 45 Indians killed in the fire incident, 23 were from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three each from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, two from Odisha and one each from Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Haryana, according to the embassy.
The mortal remains would be handed over to the respective state government representatives in Kochi and Delhi, it said.
Kuwaiti authorities handed over the mortal remains to Indian authorities after conducting DNA tests on bodies as part of the identification process.
Fire caused by ‘electrical circuit’
The Kuwaiti Fire Force said the deadly fire was caused by an "electrical circuit".
In a press statement, it said the conclusion was arrived at after examination of the scene of the incident, Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported.
The Kuwaiti authorities said they identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the fire.
The fire in Al-Mangaf building was reported to authorities in Al-Ahmadi governorate at 4.30 am on Wednesday and most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, Kuwaiti media reported, adding the fire started in a kitchen.
Construction firm NBTC group rented the building for the stay of more than 195 workers, most of them Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and northern states, the Kuwaiti media said.
Interior Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah ordered an investigation into the fire incident and issued directions to apprehend the owner and janitor of Al-Mangaf building.
