Split Second Decision Saves Kerala Man From Massive Kuwait Fire

Amidst the sorrow and shock following the tragic fire at a residential building in Kuwait in which 40 Indians are suspected to have died, a tale of courage and survival has emerged, bringing a glimmer of relief to Kerala.

Nalinakshan, a resident of Thrikkaripur in northern Kerala, found himself trapped on a third floor apartment in the building when disaster struck.

In a daring bid to escape the flames, he made a split-second decision that saved his life -- he jumped onto a nearby water tank.

Though the leap to safety left him with broken ribs and injuries, Nalinakshan managed to survive the ordeal.

Relatives who lived nearby quickly found him and rushed him to a hospital in Kuwait for urgent medical care.

"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 here.

He said the family could not speak much to Nalinakshan on the phone as he was bleeding from 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.

Nalinakshan had visited his family in March to participate in the annual Kaliyattam festival here.

According to the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs of State of Kerala (NORKA Roots), the number of people from Kerala who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy has risen to 24.

Kuwait authorities have reported that the devastating fire in a seven-story building in Mangaf in the Ahmadi Governorate of the country has claimed the lives of 49 foreign workers, including around 40 Indians, and injured 50 others.

The blaze, which started in the kitchen, erupted around 4 am on Wednesday while most of the 195 migrant workers were asleep.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)