REMAINS OF 3 OFWS ARRIVE FROM KUWAIT

THE remains of the three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died in a fire that hit an apartment building in al-Mangaf, Kuwait arrived on Monday.

The bodies of Jesus Lopez, Edwin Petras Petilla, and Jeffrey Fabrigas Cayubay arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport – Terminal 3 onboard Emirates Airlines flight EK332 around 4:21 p.m. Monday.

Government officials led by Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration administrator Arnel Ignacio assisted the families of the victims in receiving the remains at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Pair-Pags Center in Pasay City.

“Kahit masalimuot ang pangyayaring ito para sa pamilya ng mga yumao, nais tiyakin ng OWWA na lahat ng benepisyo ay matatanggap ng mga naiwan ng ating mga kababayan sa lalong madaling panahon,” the OWWA said.

Prior to the arrival, Ignacio met with the families  and updated them on the status of the investigation by Kuwaiti authorities.

The fire, which occurred at around 4:30 a.m. on June 12, affected at least 11 OFWs in a building that housed around 200 foreign workers.

According to Ignacio, the structure that caught fire serves as the accommodation building for the workers of a construction company.

Two of the 11 Filipinos affected are in critical condition in a hospital and being monitored by the Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait.

Philippine authorities are looking into the possibility of taking legal action into the incident that left 49 people, mostly Indians, dead and 56 others wounded.