India claims damages for death of 16 nationals

Dubai, Aug 3 (UNI) India has demanded Rs 15 crore from a Bahrain company as compensation for the death of 16 of its citizens who were killed in a fire incident at their labour camp in 2006, an Indian diplomat said.

Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, Balkrishna Shetty, told Khaleej Times that the Indian Embassy was waiting for a court verdict so that justice could be delivered to families of the victims who had been awaiting compensation for the last two years.

''We are not asking for charity as the Indian Community Relief Fund and Indian businessmen here and in India are supporting the families, rather we want legal rights of these families to be upheld,'' he said.

The fund was set up after the most incident of its kind in Bahrain's modern history, in 2006. A total of 16 Indian nationals were killed and 200 others were injured when a fire broke out in their three-storey building in a residential area in Qudabia, the Khaleej Times said.

''We demand Rs one crore for each victim as they were forced to live in an unsafe and overcrowded place. They were not provided with a proper kitchen and were left with no option but to cook food inside their room,'' he added.

UNI XC AM BST1406