11 FILIPINOS AFFECTED AS BUILDING IN KUWAIT CONSUMED BY FIRE

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Eleven Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were affected by a fire that engulfed a building housing foreign workers early Wednesday morning, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Thursday (13 June 2024).

According to reports from the Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait (MWO-Kuwait), three of the 11 Filipinos were safe, while three others were hospitalized, with two in intensive care recovering from injuries.

The status of five other OFWs is pending confirmation from hospital authorities as of 6:35 a.m.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac instructed MWO-Kuwait to coordinate with hospital authorities until the status of the five unaccounted OFWs is determined.

Cacdac also directed MWO-Kuwait to provide for the needs of the remaining six OFWs.

The fire was reported to the fire department around 4:30 a.m. local time (9:30 a.m. Manila time) on Wednesday in Mangaf, a coastal city south of Kuwait City.

As of late last night, Kuwait’s Interior Ministry reported at least 49 people were killed, with scores injured.

(el Amigo/mnm)