JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Tuesday ordered the airlifting to the Kingdom of 12 Saudi women and children injured in Saturday’s Kuwait wedding tent fire.

Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said the king had ordered the injured be brought to the Kingdom for treatment using air ambulance planes. He further thanked the king for his humanitarian gesture.

According to press reports, nine Saudi women were among the 46 women and children who died in the fire that was allegedly started by the groom’s ex-wife. Kuwaiti authorities have not disclosed the name of the arsonist.

Fahd Al-Sufyan, charge d’affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Kuwait City, said the embassy was making every effort to identify the dead Saudis in coordination with Kuwaiti security authorities. “We have not received any calls from the relatives of the dead Saudis in the Kingdom to hand over bodies,” Al-Sufyan said. “We are ready to assist them to take the bodies of their loved ones to the Kingdom.”

He added that the names of the dead Saudis would be announced only after the completion of DNA tests.