An early morning fire gutted a building in the Mangaf district in Kuwait on Wednesday and killed at least 49 people.

Authorities suspect that code violation may have been the reason for the razing of the building, which was said to be housing workers, mostly foreigners.

VOA reports that a driver from Egypt, who survived the outbreak, said the fire started at the lower floors of the building before it moved to the higher floors until the whole building was engulfed with smoke.

The police revealed that many residents were rescued while many others died from smoke inhalation.

The Indian ambassador confirmed that over 30 Indian citizens were hospitalized, while local officials stated that they were still trying to determine the nationalities of the other victims.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in his condolence message shared on his official X platform, said, “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones.”

Speaking at the scene of the inferno, the country’s interior minister, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah, said, “The greed of real estate owners is what leads to these matters.”

Mr Al-Sabah, therefore, demanded the arrest of the owners of the building, adding that he would later address the overcrowding of labour.

A senior police commander said warnings have usually been made against packing too many people into housing developments.