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Fire in overcrowded Kuwait building kills at least 41

A fire at an overcrowded building in Kuwait has killed at least 41 people and injured dozens more, and the death toll is expected to rise as dozens of others are treated in hospitals.

YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images
Kuwaiti firefighters and security forces gather outside a burned building in Kuwait City, on June 12, 2024. — YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images

At least 41 people were killed in a massive fire that broke out in a six-story building in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early Wednesday.

Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah told reporters on the scene that dozens of others were injured in the blaze that engulfed the building, which had reportedly housed foreign workers far over its capacity.

Sheikh Fahad, who is also the defense and interior minister, ordered the building’s owner arrested. “Unfortunately, the greed of real estate owners is what leads to these matters,” he was quoted as saying.

He added that starting Thursday, authorities will investigate building violations and take action "without prior warning."

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