When Nalinakshan, an expatriate from Kasargod district in northern Kerala, visited his family for the Kaliyattam festival in March, he never imagined he would narrowly escape death just a few months later.
“It was only when I was on the brink of being engulfed by flames that I recalled the water tank below. I realised it was close enough to jump to. Without a second thought, I leapt towards it,” said Nalinakshan, who has been living in Kuwait for over a decade, after saving himself from the fire by jumping into a water tank, according to Onmanorama.
The Kuwait fire, which broke out on Wednesday, claimed the lives of around 40 Indians, including 24 Malayalis, as reported by NORKA Roots. Nalinakshan’s escape offers a small relief amidst the tragedy, according to PTI.
He was trapped on the third floor of the residential building in Mangaf, Ahmadi Governorate, where the fire erupted. The blaze started in the kitchen around 4 am while most of the 195 migrant workers were asleep, PTI reported.
“We received the shocking news around 11 am on Wednesday. He had jumped onto the water tank but couldn’t move. Our relatives found him there and immediately took him to the hospital,” Nalinakshan’s uncle Balakrishnan told a news channel, according to PTI.
Nalinakshan sustained injuries to his mouth. “We haven’t been able to speak much with Nalinakshan because of the injuries. His surgery will be performed, and we are slightly relieved because he is being treated at a good hospital there,” Balakrishnan added, according to PTI.
“The impact caused a significant injury to my lower body, and I lost consciousness before reaching the hospital,” Nalinakshan told Manorama News.
So far, the Kuwait fire tragedy has claimed the lives of 49 foreign workers, PTI reported.