Kuwait residential building fire kills at least 49

At least 49 people have been killed in a fire at a residential building in the Kuwaiti city of Mangaf, the country's Interior Ministry says, News.Az reports citing BBC.

Video shared on social media showed flames engulfing the lower part of the building and thick black smoke billowing from the upper floors.

Many of the casualties are said to be foreign workers who lived there.

Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf al-Sabah accused property owners of greed and said violations of building standards had led to the tragedy.

"Unfortunately the greed of the property owners is what led to this," Sheikh al-Sabah, who is also acting interior minister, told Reuters news agency.

"They violate regulations and this is the result of the violations."
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj-Gen Eid al-Oweihan told state TV that the fire was reported at 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

He said it was now under control and rescue efforts were continuing.

Local media reports say the building housed 196 workers and there are suggestions that it may have been overcrowded.

News.Az