Manama: Four Bangladeshi labourers were killed and 16 were injured in an accident in Kuwait. All the victims are believed to be Asians on their way to work.
Initial reports said that the accident occurred when the minibus transporting the labourers and a truck were involved in a serious crash on Saturday. Investigations revealed that the minibus driver, a Pakistani, routinely drove 20 labourers to their work every morning.
The police said that the four Bangladeshis were aged between 32 and 48 and that the injured were Indians and Pakistanis, local Arabic daily Sabq reported on Sunday.
Medical sources said that 19 ambulances had been dispatched to the accident scene and that 38 medics gave first aid to the victims. The sources added that the number of fatalities could increase with some of the victims in very critical condition.
Kuwait is home to around 2.2 million foreigners, mainly unskilled labourers in the construction and service sectors. They represent around two thirds of the total population. Traffic police have been aggressively pushing new measures to impose a new driving culture with a greater emphasis on complying with rules and regulations to reduce the alarming rate of accidents on the country’s highways and roads.
