Several expats in Kuwait abruptly evicted amid building code crackdown

Several foreign nationals, especially bachelors, were abruptly evicted from their homes in Kuwait after authorities enforced building code violations and cut off electricity supply to three properties in the Bnied Al-Gar area, according to a media report on Monday.

The development came days after 50 people, including 46 Indians, died in a massive building fire which Kuwaiti authorities said was due to an electrical short circuit in the room of the guard on the ground floor of the structure.

Several bachelor expats in Bnied Al-Gar were abruptly evicted and left on the streets after authorities enforced building code violations. Officials cut off electricity and water supplies to three buildings during the scorching summer, where temperatures in Kuwait exceed 45 degrees Celsius, intensifying the residents' distress, the Arab Times newspaper reported.

The eviction followed a crackdown on properties that failed to meet local regulations. Officials cited serious violations that posed health and safety risks, necessitating immediate action. The sudden disruption left many expats on the streets without shelter at night, it said.

Community leaders are calling for more humane and transparent processes in handling such violations, advocating for a balance between regulatory enforcement and the welfare of foreign nationals.

In the building fire tragedy that occurred on Wednesday last in Kuwait's southern city of Mangaf, most deaths were due to smoke inhalation while residents in the building were sleeping. The building was home to 196 migrant workers, mostly Indians.

The fire incident has triggered actions against violators of housing regulations.

Indians constitute 21 per cent (1 million) of the total population of Kuwait and 30 per cent of its workforce (approximately 9 lakhs).