Stephin Abraham Sabu, 29, dreamed of building a home in Kerala for his parents, who had spent their lives moving between rented houses. Recently, he had started earning a decent income in Kuwait, allowing him to begin construction on a house in Pampady, Kottayam, near his family’s rented home.
Tragically, Sabu’s dream was cut short. On Wednesday, he was among the 49 victims, mostly Indians, who died in a fire at a building housing foreign workers. His home was set to be completed next month.
Babu, a friend, expressed the family’s shock and grief. “They were eagerly waiting for his visit later this year to celebrate the housewarming and arrange his marriage. This loss is devastating for both the family and our community,” he said.
Sabu was known for his strong ties with his Kerala neighbors and his wide circle of friends. Babu recounted, “When we first heard about the fire on Wednesday morning, we hoped he had survived. Initially, his name was not listed among the deceased on local Malayalam channels. We hoped he was in a hospital, injured. But by afternoon, it was confirmed that he had perished.”
Sharafudheen Kanneth of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, who has been at the fire site coordinating with government agencies, reported that 12 of the deceased from Kerala have been identified. “Most bodies have been recovered, but government rescue workers are still conducting final checks. The fire likely started on the ground floor and spread upward. Once all the deceased are identified, we will work with the Indian embassy to repatriate their remains,” Kanneth said from Kuwait.
Following a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Kerala government announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the 12 deceased from the state and ₹1 lakh each for those injured.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George and state National Health Mission Director Jeevan Babu are scheduled to travel to Kuwait to oversee medical operations and repatriate the bodies, according to a Cabinet note.
Prominent businessmen MA Yusuff Ali and Ravi Pillai have pledged ₹5 lakh and ₹2 lakh respectively to the families of the deceased. Additionally, the state government will establish a global contact center and help desk in Kuwait.