Flash floods stir up storm in Kuwait’s Cabinet
A Kuwaiti minister resigned after a public panic about road flooding and major disruption caused by extreme weather.
Public Works Minister Hussam Al Roumi apologised for damage caused by flooding as Anas Al Saleh, the Deputy Prime Minister, pledged to hold officials to account.
Flash floods surged through homes and main roads, trapping motorists and bringing traffic to a standstill. The Kuwaiti National Guard was sent to help clear roads as entire motorways and neighbourhoods were submerged and vehicles were swept away.
Social media users also posted footage and images of the destruction.
Kuwait’s weather bureau said the country received more rainfall on Friday than was anticipated for the entire month. It said there were chances of more rain yesterday but that conditions were forecast to stabilise by this morning.
There were no immediate reports of casualties but Kuwait’s Health Minister, Sheikh Basel Al Sabah, said on Friday that his team responded to 400 emergency cases and that a state of emergency would continue until the weather improved.
A less severe storm struck the country on Tuesday, prompting the government to declare a holiday for ministries, universities and schools.
The storms prompted some Kuwaitis to criticise officials on social media for not being prepared for the severe weather.
After the storm on Tuesday, parliamentarian Mohammad Al Huwaila urged the government to form a crisis management commission to deal with such situations.
Mr Al Roumi’s resignation came after other senior officials in the Public Works Ministry were sacked, the Kuwait
Times newspaper reported. Mr Al Saleh said yesterday that those to be held accountable would include ministers and private companies contracted by the government, the state news agency Kuna reported.
He also said Kuwait’s Cabinet would meet to review reports of damage caused by the extreme weather.
Ministers would also discuss ways to help those who were affected by the floods.
The Education Ministry on Friday said it was working with representatives of school districts on a report assessing the damage to buildings.
Education Minister Hamid Al Azmi said his office was also working on a joint commission with civil defence in preparation for weather-related emergencies.