Fire in Kuwaiti building kills 41 workers

A devastating fire that broke out in a building where workers lived has killed at least 41 people, the country's deputy prime minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah said during a visit to the site.

The incident took place in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early on Wednesday (June 12), reports Reuters.

The deputy PM accused real estate owners of violations and greed, saying those factors are the reasons behind the fire.

"Unfortunately, the greed of real estate owners is what leads to these matters," said Sheikh Fahad.

"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," a 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.