Three Egyptian workers in Kuwait were killed when the ceiling of an under-construction mosque collapsed late on Monday, a Kuwaiti interior ministry official told Egypt's state news agency MENA.

The Egyptian consulate in Kuwait is liaising with Kuwaiti authorities to return the bodies to Egypt.

The consulate is in contact with the company where the three victims had worked to guarantee their families obtain their full rights.

Two other workers were injured in the incident, according to a statement by Kuwaiti authorities, but their nationalities remain to be announced.

Kuwaiti Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Fahad Al-Shualah has urged a prompt investigation into the incident and vowed to hold accountable anyone found to be negligent.

Around 500,000 Egyptian nationals work in Kuwait, according to figures issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower in August 2018.