Kuwait City, August 16: Kuwaiti authorities are running DNA tests to identify the 41 women and children killed in a wedding tent fire.
Fire department chief Brig. Gen. Jassem al-Mansouri says the tent was completely consumed in just three minutes in a blazing inferno that left many victims unrecognizeable.
The cause of the fire is still unclear, but could have been faulty electrical wiring, food heating equipment or coals used for burning incense.
He said Saturday that the fire in al-Jahra, west of the capital, was the worst he has seen in his almost four decades of service in this small oil-rich state and close U.S. ally.
Wedding parties are held separately for women and men in Kuwait, and children attend the women’s.
–Agencies