Published 20:26 IST, December 4th 2019
Sudan blast: PM Modi expresses anguish over death of 18 Indian workers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the blast in the Bahri area of Khartoum, Sudan, that killed at least 23 workers, of which 18 were Indians.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the blast in Sudan that killed at least 23 workers, of which 18 were Indians. PM Modi took to Twitter saying the Indian Embassy in Sudan is providing all possible assistance to affected people.
Anguished by the blast in a ceramic factory in Sudan, where some Indian workers have lost their lives and some are injured. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured. Our Embassy is providing all possible assistance to those affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 4, 2019
MEA statement
Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar expressed grief while confirming the death of at least 23 people and injury to more than 180 people. Jaishankar informed that an LPG tanker had exploded at a ceramic factory ‘Saloomi’ on December 3, in the Bahri area of Khartoum.
Have just received the tragic news of a major blast in a ceramic factory “Saloomi” in the Bahri area of the capital Khartoum in Sudan. Deeply grieved to learn that some Indian workers have lost their lives while some others have been seriously injured.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 4, 2019
Emergency hotline
The Indian embassy in Sudan has set up a 24-hour emergency hotline and the representative has rushed to the site. "The Sudanese Mobile no. +249-921917471 has been activated as 24-hour emergency number for any information related to this incident," the embassy had said in an advisory. The embassy also released the status of missing and injured people saying “some of the missing may be in the list of dead which we are still to receive as identification is not possible because of the bodies being burnt.”
Meanwhile, the government of Sudan said that the preliminary reports hinted towards lack of necessary safety equipment at the site. According to reports, inflammable materials were improperly stored which further led to the spread of fire.
19:52 IST, December 4th 2019