Tamil Nadu announces compensation for Bahrain fire victims families

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Chennai, Wednessday,Aug 2,2006 : The Tamil Nadu Government has announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakhs (4,292 dollars) for the families of each of the 16 Indians who died in a blaze that struck a three-storeyed building in Bahrain on Sunday.

The victims, who were all from Tamil Nadu, died of smoke inhalation. Seven other people were injured in the fire that broke out at dawn at a building which housed employees of a nearby hotel in Bahrain capital Manama.

The compensation was announced even as the bodies had arrived at the Chennai airport.

Offering condolences to the members of the bereaved families, K. Venkatapathy, Tamil Nadu's Law Minister, said: "Due to the fire accident in Bahrain, 16 Tamilians died and so many persons got injured. Sixteen bodies have arrived and they are to be sent to their native places. The Tamil Nadu government has announced a solatium of two lakhs (200,000) rupees for each bereaved family,"

Most of the men were from remote and impoverished villages and had moved to the Arab states in search of greener pastures. Those killed were employees of the Royal Towers Construction Company.

There were around 300 people in the labour camp, being run by the Royal Tower Construction Company. The fire occurred on the topmost floor of the building, and most of the victims died due to suffocation.

The fire was caused by an electrical short-circuit. Bahrain, like many Gulf Arab states, relies on a large number of foreign workers, most of whom come from Asian countries.