In a devastating fire in Kuwait, Mohammad Ali Hussain, a young man from Jharkhand, lost his life. When he left for Kuwait 18 days ago, his family never imagined it would be their last time seeing him. His father, Mubarak Hussain, shared that Mohammad, the youngest of four siblings, had gone to Kuwait to support his family. "It was his first time going abroad. He told us he had secured a job as a salesman there. We never thought such a tragedy would occur within 18 days."
Mubarak, who runs a small tire business in Ranchi, added, "A coworker informed me of his death on Thursday morning, but it took me until evening to gather the courage to tell my wife. Mohammad had just completed his graduation and was pursuing a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) course. One day, he suddenly decided to go to Kuwait. Most of the people died due to suffocation from the smoke," according to Kuwaiti media reports.
Dreams of a Better Life Shattered
Many of the victims had left India with dreams of improving their lives. The special Air Force plane carrying the bodies of 45 Indians who died in the devastating fire on June 12 landed in Kochi on Friday. The plane will later fly to Delhi. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, and several state cabinet ministers were present at the airport. State Law Minister P. Rajeev explained that since most of the deceased were from Kerala, the plane landed there first. The same plane will then fly to Delhi with the remaining bodies.
Among those who perished in the fire were 23 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.
Striving for a Roof Over Their Heads
Binoy Joseph, from Kerala, left behind his wife Binetha and two young daughters. Before going to Kuwait, he worked as a salesman in a shop in Chavakkad, Thrissur district, dreaming of earning enough money to build a house for his family. His neighbor, Supriya Ramachandran, said, "They didn't have their own house. Last year, Binoy bought a small piece of land and built a shed on it. He went to Kuwait at 44 to pay off the debt from buying the land and to save enough money to build a proper house."
A mother in Darbhanga District anxiously awaits the return of her son.
In Bihar's Darbhanga district, a middle-aged woman has been desperately trying to contact her son, Kalu Khan, after hearing about the fire in Kuwait. Kalu has been living in Kuwait for several years. His mother, Madina Khatoon, said, "I last spoke to him on Tuesday night. He told me he would come to Darbhanga on July 5 for his wedding next month. But since I heard about the fire, I haven't been able to reach him. I am praying for some good news."
Twenty-seven-year-old Srihari Pradeep, a mechanical engineer from Kerala, had just started his first job at his father's company in Kuwait last week. Tragically, he died in the fire. Pradeep had moved into the building where the fire broke out, which housed several employees of his company, NBTC. His father lived in a nearby building. On Thursday morning, he identified his son's body in the hospital morgue.
A Father’s Unfulfilled Promise
Lukose had promised his elder daughter a mobile phone for scoring good marks in her Class 12 board exams. He planned to bring it home next month and enroll her in a nursing course in Bengaluru. However, the family received news that the building in Kuwait where he was staying had caught fire. A friend informed them that the fire occurred around 4 am. Lukose had called a local priest, and then the call was disconnected. When they tried calling him back, there was no response.
Lukose had been working in Kuwait for 18 years. His family includes his elderly parents, wife, and two daughters. "He bought a phone for his elder daughter for her good results in Class 12. He was going to bring it home next month and take her to Bengaluru for a nursing course," a relative shared.
These tragic stories highlight the dreams and aspirations of Indian workers who went to Kuwait seeking a better life, only to return home in coffins. Their families are left grieving and struggling to cope with the loss.