Bahrain blaze kills 16 Tamil Nadu workers, 7 injured
At least 16 workers from Tamil Nadu were kille and seven injured after a blaze broke out in a three-storey building at a labour cam in Bahrain capital Manama early Sunday
“Two of the seven injured are in a critical condition. All the injured have been hospitalised,” Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told IANS.
“The fire occurred at 2.30 a.m. local time at the Gudabia labour camp in Bahrain, two kilometres from Manama. Sixteen bodies have been taken out and more casualties are expected,” Ravi said.
There were around 300 people in the labour camp, being run by the Royal Tower Construction Company, according to Ravi. The fire occurred on the topmost floor of the building, and most of the victims died due to suffocation, he said.
Bahrain Prime Minister Khalifa Bin Salman Ali Khalifa visited the site of the tragedy, while authorities have launched an inquiry into the blaze.
According to a statement issued by Bahrain’s ministry of interior affairs, a fire broke out early Sunday morning in a three-floor building, used as residence for workers, behind the Omar Al Khayam Hotel in Al Qudhaybia area in Manama.
“Nearly 16 suffocated to death due to heavy smokes, seven (were) injured and 196 have been rescued – all of Asian nationality,” said the statement.
Civil defence cars, forces of public security and ambulances rushed to the scene for evacuation and rescue operations while the injured were moved to hospitals, it said.
The fire was possibly caused by an electrical short-circuit, reports said.
DPA news agency quoted one of the survivors as saying: “The fire took us by surprise. I was asleep when the firemen broke into our room and started evacuating us.
“We usually get up at 5 a.m. and don’t get back from work until 7 p.m. so most of the workers were tired and asleep when the fire started in the building.”
Ravi said the Indian embassy in Bahrain was asked to send the bodies of the killed Indians back home “as soon as possible”.
“I have asked the embassy there to do whatever is needed to complete the modalities so that the bodies can be sent to India as soon as possible,” he said.
The Indian ambassador in Bahrain, Balakrishan Shetty, has also been instructed to provide speedy help to the injured.
“The government wants to extend all help to the injured,” Ravi said.
“Between eight and 15 of us share a room in the 21-bedroom building and we mainly come from the same district in India so we are very close,” another worker has been quoted by DPA.
“Some of us lived and worked here between a year and four years so we are very close group and I can’t believe that 16 of my friends could be lost in this horrific way.”
The grieving survivors were in a state of shock as some of them cried for lost friends and relatives.
News of the incident shocked the large Indian community in Bahrain as co-workers who live in nearby buildings and company officials moved to assist the survivors.
Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed said: “I am in constant touch with the Indian ambassador at Bahrain. The 16 people who died are being identified. I am told that seven more are injured. Their condition is stable.
“All the dead are from Tamil Nadu. The cause of death is due to a fire that broke out in their camp due to an electric short-circuit. I have asked the ambassador (to Bahrain) to prepare a list of all those who are staying in the camp,” the minister told IANS in Thiruvananthapuram.
“We are in touch with the relatives of the dead and after getting their opinion we would transport the bodies at our expense to their homes,” he added.
The kingdom of Bahrain, like many Gulf states, relies on a large number of foreign workers, mostly from Asian countries, who work primarily in the construction and service industries.
Telugu Portal :: 30 July, ’06
Bahrain blaze kills 16 Tamil Nadu workers, 7 injured
At least 16 workers from Tamil Nadu were kille and seven injured after a blaze broke out in a three-storey building at a labour cam in Bahrain capital Manama early Sunday
“Two of the seven injured are in a critical condition. All the injured have been hospitalised,” Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told IANS.
“The fire occurred at 2.30 a.m. local time at the Gudabia labour camp in Bahrain, two kilometres from Manama. Sixteen bodies have been taken out and more casualties are expected,” Ravi said.
There were around 300 people in the labour camp, being run by the Royal Tower Construction Company, according to Ravi. The fire occurred on the topmost floor of the building, and most of the victims died due to suffocation, he said.
Bahrain Prime Minister Khalifa Bin Salman Ali Khalifa visited the site of the tragedy, while authorities have launched an inquiry into the blaze.
According to a statement issued by Bahrain’s ministry of interior affairs, a fire broke out early Sunday morning in a three-floor building, used as residence for workers, behind the Omar Al Khayam Hotel in Al Qudhaybia area in Manama.
“Nearly 16 suffocated to death due to heavy smokes, seven (were) injured and 196 have been rescued – all of Asian nationality,” said the statement.
Civil defence cars, forces of public security and ambulances rushed to the scene for evacuation and rescue operations while the injured were moved to hospitals, it said.
The fire was possibly caused by an electrical short-circuit, reports said.
DPA news agency quoted one of the survivors as saying: “The fire took us by surprise. I was asleep when the firemen broke into our room and started evacuating us.
“We usually get up at 5 a.m. and don’t get back from work until 7 p.m. so most of the workers were tired and asleep when the fire started in the building.”
Ravi said the Indian embassy in Bahrain was asked to send the bodies of the killed Indians back home “as soon as possible”.
“I have asked the embassy there to do whatever is needed to complete the modalities so that the bodies can be sent to India as soon as possible,” he said.
The Indian ambassador in Bahrain, Balakrishan Shetty, has also been instructed to provide speedy help to the injured.
“The government wants to extend all help to the injured,” Ravi said.
“Between eight and 15 of us share a room in the 21-bedroom building and we mainly come from the same district in India so we are very close,” another worker has been quoted by DPA.
“Some of us lived and worked here between a year and four years so we are very close group and I can’t believe that 16 of my friends could be lost in this horrific way.”
The grieving survivors were in a state of shock as some of them cried for lost friends and relatives.
News of the incident shocked the large Indian community in Bahrain as co-workers who live in nearby buildings and company officials moved to assist the survivors.
Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed said: “I am in constant touch with the Indian ambassador at Bahrain. The 16 people who died are being identified. I am told that seven more are injured. Their condition is stable.
“All the dead are from Tamil Nadu. The cause of death is due to a fire that broke out in their camp due to an electric short-circuit. I have asked the ambassador (to Bahrain) to prepare a list of all those who are staying in the camp,” the minister told IANS in Thiruvananthapuram.
“We are in touch with the relatives of the dead and after getting their opinion we would transport the bodies at our expense to their homes,” he added.
The kingdom of Bahrain, like many Gulf states, relies on a large number of foreign workers, mostly from Asian countries, who work primarily in the construction and service industries.
Telugu Portal :: 30 July, ’06