Fire in Kuwaiti building housing workers kills 35

A fire broke out in a building housing workers in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early on Wednesday, killing at least 35 people, senior police officers told state media.

The incident was reported to authorities at 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), Major General Eid Rashed Hamad said.

“The building in which the fire occurred was used to house workers, and there was a large number of workers there. Dozens were rescued, but unfortunately there were many deaths as a result of inhaling smoke from the fire,” another senior police commander told state TV.

“We always alert and warn against” cramming too many workers into housing accommodation, he said, without providing details on the workers’ type of employment or place of origin.

The Kuwaiti health ministry said about 43 people were hospitalized due to the fire, and four of those people had died. It wasn’t clear if the four fatalities were in addition to the 35 reported by police.

The authorities said they had contained the fire and were investigating what caused it.