Three Filipinos were reportedly hurt while eight others were affected after a fire hit a residential building in Kuwait, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed Thursday.

According to DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, two overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are in critical condition due to smoke inhalation.

“Merong tatlo na na-ospital, at dalawa ngayon ay in critical condition, ipagdasal po natin ang kanilang kaligtasan, yung isa is in a less serious situation pero ipagdasal pa rin natin ang kaniyang kaligtasan (There are three who have been hospitalized, and two are now in critical condition, let's pray for their safety, the other one is in a less serious situation but let's still pray for his safety),” Cacdac said in a television interview.

He added that a total of eleven OFWs were affected by the fire.

“Three have been marked safe. Lima, ang ayon sa report, ang status nila ay missing, subject to hospital confirmation… we are still determining their status dun sa ospital at patuloy po nating ipagdasal sa kaligtasan nila (Three have been marked safe. Five, according to the report, are missing, subject to hospital confirmation... we are still determining their status at the hospital and we will continue to pray for their safety),” Cacdac said.

Meanwhile, the DMW chief assured full assistance will be given to the victims and teams from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are on the ground.

The families of the victims have also been notified.

He added the Kuwaiti government and the company involved are also in coordination with the agency and have offered support to the affected OFWs.

The fire reportedly started early Wednesday morning from a kitchen while the workers were asleep.

The death toll of the incident sits at 49 as of writing with more than 50 injured. However, local authorities have yet to reveal their nationalities.

Foreign media reports say the building was overcrowded with workers making it difficult to escape the blaze.