3 OFWs die in Kuwait fire, DMW confirms

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has confirmed that three overseas Filipino workers have died due to smoke inhalation in a building fire in Kuwait on Wednesday, 12 June 2024.

According to DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, they were a part of a group of 11 OFWs who were all working for the same construction company and were living in the building.

The two other OFWs remain in critical condition and under close monitoring in a hospital while the remaining six are all safe and unharmed.

Cacdac has directed the Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait (MWO-Kuwait) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Welfare Office to coordinate with the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait and Ambassador Jose Cabrera for the repatriation of the three workers' remains.

Cacdac said he and OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio personally reached out to the families and relatives of the 11 OFWs.

“We are in touch with the families of all the affected OFWs, including the families of those two in critical condition and the families of the three fatalities,” he said

“Six of them are now safe and provided with their immediate needs. We will provide all the necessary assistance and support to the OFWs and their families in this difficult time as directed by the President,” he added.

According to Kuwait authorities, the blaze started at about 4:30 A.M. (9:30 A.M. Manila time) from the base of the building.

The structure is located in al-Mangaf, a coastal city south of Kuwait, and serves as a housing and dormitory facility for foreign workers.