Local authorities detained the building’s owner to investigate possible negligence that could have caused the 2024 Mangaf fire. According to preliminary reports, the cause of the fire was traced back to a cooking gas cylinder explosion in the quarters of an Egyptian security guard, igniting a blaze that quickly spread throughout the building. The fire originated on the ground floor of Block-4.
The building’s owner, also the company sponsor, is a Kuwaiti native. The building accommodated 195 individuals across various apartments, with 92 residents reported safe and 20 absent due to night duty. The building housed employees of the NBTC company. The incident occurred at four in the morning, exacerbating the impact as most workers were asleep at the time. While some died when they jumped off the building in a desperate bid to escape the fire, most fatalities occurred from asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation.
