Three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) died in a fire that gutted a building which houses foreign workers in Kuwait, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed on Thursday, June 13.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the three Filipinos who died were among the five OFWs unaccounted for when the blaze that engulfed a building in al-Mangaf, a coastal city south of Kuwait City on Wednesday morning, June 12.

“The three, who died from smoke inhalation, were part of a group of 11 OFWs, all working for the same Kuwaiti construction company housed in the building that caught fire,” said Cacdac.

The three Filipinos were among the 49 people who were reported to have died in the blaze.

The DMW earlier reported that two OFWs were injured and are now in critical condition in a hospital.

Six others, including the two who were earlier reported unaccounted, are already safe, according to Cacdac.

Cacdac said he already instructed the Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait (MWO-Kuwait) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Welfare Office to coordinate their efforts with the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait (PE-Kuwait) for the repatriation of the three workers' remains.

He said OWWA Administrator Arnell A. Ignacio is personally reaching out to all the families and relatives of the 11 OFWs.

“We are in touch with the families of all the affected OFWs, including the families of those two in critical condition and the families of the three fatalities. Six of them are now safe and provided with their immediate needs,” said Cacdac.

“We will provide all the necessary assistance and support to the OFWs and their families in this difficult time as directed by the President,” he added.