By Brian Jules Campued
At least 11 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were affected by a fire that broke out in a building housing foreign workers in the coastal city of Mangaf, Kuwait early Wednesday.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday said that three OFWs were injured, with two of the three hurt being treated in the intensive care unit.
According to DMW Sec. Hans Leo Cacdac, three Filipinos emerged the incident unscathed while five others remain unaccounted for as of 6:35 a.m. (11:30 a.m. PST).
Cacdac ordered the Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait (MWO-Kuwait) to contact hospital authorities to ascertain the status of the five unaccounted OFWs.
“He likewise directed MWO-Kuwait and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Welfare Office in Kuwait to see to the immediate needs of the six other OFWs,” the DMW said.
In a statement, OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio said they are closely monitoring the situation of the affected Filipinos to attend to the immediate needs of the victims.
“Nakausap na rin ng OWWA ang kaanak ng tatlong Pinoy sa Pilipinas upang tiyakin na mabibigay ang kanilang mga pangangailangan sa panahong ito,” Ignacio added.
The MWO-Kuwait said the fire was reported to authorities at around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday (9:30 a.m. PST) which killed at least 49 people. – iro