Indian killed in Iran strike on Kuwait plant; toll rises to 8 in West Asia conflict
Kuwait City, March 30
An Indian worker was killed in a strike carried out by Iran on a power and water desalination facility in Kuwait early on Monday, the Kuwaiti government announced. This has now pushed the number of Indian nationals killed in the ongoing West Asia conflict to at least eight.
In a post on X, Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity and Water confirmed that the attack also caused damage to a service building at the facility and strongly condemned it as a "sinful Iranian aggression" against the Gulf nation.
"This attack resulted in the death of an employee (of Indian nationality) and caused severe material damage to the building," the Ministry said in Arabic (roughly translated to English).
Officials added that emergency and technical response teams were immediately deployed to the site to manage the situation, contain the damage, and ensure that operations at the facility continued without major disruption.
The Ministry further emphasised that the "safety and stability of the electricity and water infrastructure constitute a top priority," noting that technical teams are actively working to anticipate any further risks and ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services.
The latest fatality comes days after another tragic incident in the United Arab Emirates, where an Indian national lost his life last Thursday after being struck by falling debris when a ballistic missile was intercepted over Abu Dhabi.
At the time, the Indian Embassy had said it was "closely working with the UAE authorities to provide all possible support and assistance" to those affected.
Following an inter-ministerial review meeting held on Friday, the government had stated that seven Indian nationals had been killed in the Middle East conflict so far, with one person reported missing. Monday's incident has now taken the death toll higher.
The conflict, which has now entered its fifth week, erupted after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering a broader regional escalation.
Since then, Iranian forces have carried out retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries hosting American military installations, leading to casualties and significant damage to critical infrastructure across the region.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Working in the Gulf is so common for Indians, but the risks are becoming too high. The MEA needs to issue stronger travel advisories and have concrete evacuation plans ready. These geopolitical fights are costing innocent lives.
Why are we always caught in the crossfire? First UAE, now Kuwait. Our foreign policy needs to be more proactive in protecting our people, not just reactive after tragedies. Jai Hind.
So sad. Imagine the family back in India waiting for his next call or his next remittance, only to get this news. The human cost of conflict is immense. We need peace, not escalation.
A respectful criticism: While the embassy says it's "closely working," families need faster, clearer communication and direct support. The process feels opaque from the outside. Transparency and swift compensation are crucial.
This is terrible. These workers are the backbone of our economy through remittances. The government must negotiate with host countries for safer working zones or temporary repatriation until things calm down. Stay strong, Bharat.
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