A devastating fire erupted early Wednesday morning in a building that housed workers in Mangaf, a city in southern Kuwait, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 people, according to senior police officials.
Major General Eid Rashed Hamad reported that authorities were alerted to the fire at 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT). The building, heavily occupied by workers, saw many rescued, but numerous fatalities occurred due to smoke inhalation, a senior police commander informed state TV.
“We continually warn against overcrowding in worker accommodations,” the police commander emphasized, without specifying the workers’ employment types or nationalities.
The Kuwaiti health ministry stated that around 43 individuals were hospitalized due to the fire, with four reported deaths among them. It remains unclear if these four fatalities are part of the 35 initially reported by the police.
Authorities have since contained the fire and are conducting an investigation to determine its cause.