AUTHORITIES LAY OUT SAFETY MEASURES DURING HEAVY RAIN

‘DON’T USE PHONE DURING THUNDERSTORMS’

The Interior Ministry’s relations and security media department and Kuwait Fire Service Department (KFSD) urged all citizens and expats to be very careful during heavy rain and thunderstorms, during which the following safety measures should be fully observed:

Keep updated about weather forecasts issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation by following various media or through smartphone applications.

In case of heavy rain while driving, drive away from low-lying and flooded areas to avoid breakdowns and drowning. In case a vehicle breaks down during a flood, abandon it and take shelter in a safe spot. In case of lightning, avoid open areas and stop using mobile phones or the vehicle’s radio while driving.

If you have a basement in your house, make sure you have a functioning drainage pump.

In case the basement drainage pumps breaks down and water level rises, immediately disconnect power supplies and climb to higher floors from where you can call 112.

It is advisable not to use elevators during heavy rain unless they are equipped with automatically opening doors when power is disconnected.

Avoid driving vehicles in water ponds formed in desert areas.

Fire

A fire broke out in a fourth-floor apartment in a Salmiya building, said security sources, noting that firemen rushed to the scene and managed to rescue two people who were trapped behind flames. The entire building had to be evacuated during the process.

Waste management

Kuwait Municipality Director Ahmed Al-Manfouhi stressed the significance of utilizing scientific waste management methods and following the steps of advanced countries on recycling and protecting natural resources. Speaking on the occasion of taking part in a training program of waste management in Spain, Manfouhi added that recycling waste can turn it from a burden into an economic resource. He also noted that the municipality intends to build the first-of-its-kind factory in the Middle East to annually process about one million tons of solid waste safely and use it in generating electricity. Meanwhile, deputy director for projects Nadia Al-Shereeda said that the municipality delegation visited a number of recycling factories in Spain to witness Spanish efforts in the field and make use of them in building similar plants in Kuwait.