KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education said that study would continue normally despite the formation of partial ponds at some schools due to the downpour of Sunday evening. All educational facilities are safe and fine after the heavy rains, Spokesman of the Ministry Ahmad Al-Weheidah said in a press release tonight.

Affirming the keenness of the Ministry on the safety of students, and the teaching and administrative staff, he said the Ministry is in contact with the Meteorological Department of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Forecasts of the Meteorological Dept. show that the weather will improve gradually as of Monday morning, he noted, adding that there was no need of suspending study.

Impacts of downpour

In another development, Kuwait National Guard (KNG) and Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) said their emergency teams offered support to the other state agencies in dealing with the ponds resulting from the heavy rains of Sunday evening. The ponds resulted in traffic jams at some areas, including sections of Al-Ghazali Highway, and the intersections of Al-Maghreb Highway and the Fourth Ring Road, the KNG said in a statement.

The KNG emergency teams helped the traffic department in easing the jams and draining the accumulated water, according to the statement. Similarly, the KFF activated its emergency plan in response to the downpour and addressed 57 reports of minor accidents. High levels of water inundated some roads and basements at some buildings, and some motorists got stuck on the roads, the KFF Public Relations and Media Department said in a press release.

The KFF teams managed to rescue 45 persons safely, the statement said, noting that nobody was injured in such incidents. First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Acting Defense Minister Sheikh Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and KFF Chief Lt-Gen Khaled Al-Mekrad keep following up the emergency response effort in collaboration with other competent agencies. - KUNA