Bodies of Indians returned home

LR Jagadheesan
BBC News, Madras

The bodies of 16 Indian workers who died in a fire accident in Bahrain two days ago have arrived in the southern Indian city of Madras (Chennai).

The victims, all employees of the Royal Tower Construction Company, died in a fire at a building in Gudabiya last Sunday, say officials.

Their relatives say they went to Bahrain after paying agents who arranged their travel documents.

Many had heavy debts to money lenders that their families will have to pay.

Poor families

Several ministers were present at the airport to receive them.

Arrangements are now being made to hand over the bodies to their families.

All the victims were from poor families and came from the rural areas of Tamil Nadu.

Most of them had taken loans at high interest rates from the village money lenders to pay the agent. And many of the dead are said to have left their families in huge debts.

The Tamil Nadu government has announced compensation worth $4,000 to the families of those killed. But it is expected that in many cases the compensation will ultimately go towards settling these debts.

Hundreds of thousands of Indians live and work in the Gulf countries, mostly working in the building and construction industries.