In a tragic incident, Major General Eid Al-Owihan, Director General of Forensic Evidence at Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior, has confirmed that the death toll from a fire in the Mangaf area south of the capital has exceeded 35, with an additional 15 people injured.
According to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Gharib, Director of Public Relations at the General Fire Force, stated that the fire broke out in an overcrowded workers’ residence.
He noted that most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation while the victims were asleep, although a significant number of residents were evacuated from the building.
The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the condition of the injured and is coordinating with hospitals and relevant authorities in the country to ensure that all necessary needs are met and the best possible medical services are provided.
The ministry has also formed specialized medical teams to follow up on the conditions of the injured and offer psychological and moral support to them and their families.
Kuwait has decided to exempt all citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from all healthcare fees, treating them as “Kuwaitis”.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health has updated its “Fees and Exemptions” policy for visitors to primary care centres, following a review of all policies regarding healthcare fees and exemptions.
The updates to the exemptions include exempting residents with valid cards from those who reside illegally, daughters and sons of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis, non-Kuwaiti husbands of Kuwaiti women, GCC citizens holding civil IDs or passports, scholarship students, residents of social care homes, and children under the age of 18 diagnosed with cancer in Kuwait.
The exemptions also include non-Kuwaiti children under 12 years old with severe disabilities, prison inmates, shelters for domestic workers, members of official delegations, and transit passengers.
