The Indian Air Force aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indians who died in a fire in Kuwait has reached Cochin International Airport. The Kerala government will offer tributes to the mortal remains at the airport premises. Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Kirti Vardhan Singh, was also onboard.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state cabinet, Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan, Union Minister Suresh Gopi and leaders of various political parties arrived at the airport to offer tributes to the mortal remains. The State police gave a guard of honour at the airport.
#WATCH | Ernakulam, Kerala: The mortal remains of 45 Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait being taken out of the special Indian Air Force aircraft at Cochin International Airport.
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024
(Source: CIAL) pic.twitter.com/Dsn8hHhcqS
Addressing presspersons, Vijayan said the remains of 31 Indians have reached Kochi, of which 23 are Keralaites, seven from Tamil Nadu and one from Karnataka. The chief minister condemned the Centre for not giving political clearance for Health Minister Veena George’s travel to Kuwait on Thursday.
Tamil Nadu Minister Gingee K.S. Masthan also reached the airport to pay tributes and receive bodies of persons from the state.
Twenty-three of the 45 Indians who died in the inferno were residents of Kerala. Of the remaining, 7 were from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh, 1 each from Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal.
According to Health Minister Veena George, ambulances have been arranged for the transportation of the mortal remains to their respective districts. The majority of the deceased from Kerala were from Pathanamthitta district, officials said.
The aircraft will now fly to Delhi as some of the Indians killed are from north Indian states, officials said.