Chennai man among 11 killed in Saudi fire

Chennai: A 54-year-old man from the city working in Najran, Saudi Arabia was killed along with nine other Indians on Wednesday night after a fire broke out in a windowless house they were staying in. Six other Indians were injured.

Officials said that Murokanandan Kaliyan, of Gnanambal street in Nehru Nagar in Ramapuram, Chennai was one of the victims. Among those killed in the fire mishap, 4 are from UP and three from Kerala and one from Bihar.

 Kaliyan is survived by his wife, a son and a married daughter. Employed as a construction worker, he last visited his family a year and a half ago.

At least six others, including four Indians, were injured. Officials believe a short circuit in an old air-conditioning unit caused the fire. All the deceased were working for a construction company and living near the gold market in Faisaliah district. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter that the Indian Consul General is in touch with the governor of Najran.Following the incident, Prince Jluwi bin, Governor of Najran, criticised the living conditions of foreign workers in Saudi and directed the civil defence, municipality and the ministry of labour and social development to set up a committee to check if unfit buildings are being rented to foreign workers.