A plane carrying the bodies of 20 Indians who died in separate incidents arrived in Kerala from Kuwait.

Kochi: The bodies of 20 Indian citizens who lost their lives in different incidents in Kuwait reached the Cochin International Airport in Kerala on Wednesday.

According to officials, the repatriation of these bodies was delayed due to ongoing tensions in the Gulf region. The deceased include 37-year-old Santhanselvam Krishnan, a resident of Muthukulathur in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, who was killed in a drone attack on a water desalination plant in Kuwait. The remaining 19 Indian nationals died in various accidents and due to natural causes, but Iran’s spate of attacks on Gulf countries delayed the repatriation of their bodies to India.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has reported that as the ongoing conflict in West Asia enters its second month, a total of eight Indian nationals have died so far, while one person is still missing. Aseem Mahajan, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, who oversees Gulf affairs, said the Indian mission in Kuwait is in constant contact with the local administration to ensure the bodies of the deceased are returned to their families as soon as possible.

Aseem Mahajan said, “An Indian citizen recently died in the attack, which is extremely tragic. We express our condolences to the bereaved family. The Indian Embassy is in contact with the family and is ensuring all possible assistance.”

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait also expressed deep sorrow over the incident. In a statement released on the social media platform, the embassy said it expresses deep condolences for the loss of an Indian citizen in the attack on the desalination facility and is providing all possible assistance in collaboration with local authorities.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said that a major power and water desalination plant was severely damaged in an attack on Sunday evening, killing an Indian employee. Officials suspect Iran was behind the attack.

It is noteworthy that the escalating tensions in the Gulf region are also affecting civilians. The deaths and disappearances of Indian citizens have raised concerns within the Indian government. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy are closely monitoring the situation and providing all possible assistance to the affected families.