In the early hours of Friday, a special Indian Air Force plane departed for Kerala, carrying the remains of the 45 Indians who perished in the Kuwait building fire tragedy.

Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh confirmed this on X and was aboard the aircraft.

The plane is scheduled to land in Kochi, Kerala.

In preparation, police teams and ambulances were stationed at Cochin International Airport.

On Thursday, Kuwaiti authorities identified the bodies of the 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals who lost their lives in the tragic fire that engulfed a building housing foreign workers.

Kuwait has committed to a swift investigation and has promised full support in repatriating the victims' remains.

The fire, which occurred on Wednesday, claimed the lives of at least 49 foreign workers and injured 50 others. The seven-story building in the southern city of Mangaf was home to 196 migrant workers.

According to the Kuwait Fire Force, the fire was triggered by an electrical short circuit. This conclusion was drawn after a field examination of the scene.

In the meantime, Kuwaiti authorities are conducting DNA tests to identify the bodies of those killed in the fire in Mangaf.