KUWAIT: This handout photo shows debris at the site of the collapse reported yesterday at a college in Ardhiya KUWAIT: This handout photo shows debris at the site of the collapse reported yesterday at a college in Ardhiya

KUWAIT: Education Minister Bader Al-Essa said preliminary indicators about a roof's collapse at the parking lot of the basic education college point to a fault by the contracting company, adding that there were no injuries. He said an investigation committee will be formed to discuss the reasons for the accident. Official spokeswoman of the authority Fatima Al-Azmi said the collapse was at the college's car parking in Ardhiya in the area designated for the teaching faculty. She said no injuries were reported. Some vehicles were damaged, however. The college is affiliated to the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET).

50+ C degrees

Kuwait will be hit with a heat wave during which temperatures will exceed 50 degree C in some areas due to seasonal weather changes, a veteran meteorologist said yesterday, adding that the extremely hot temperatures are expected to start Friday and will continue to Monday. The Indian seasonal low depression is expected to extend north-west of the Arab peninsula, which will cause the movement of very hot winds from the middle and south of the peninsula, Meteorologist Essa Ramadhan said. The winds' temperature will be increased by the temperature of north-westerly winds descending from the mountains of the Iranian hill and passing through the hot plains in southern Iraq towards Kuwait and eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia, he explained.

Reporting accidents

Secretary General of the Supreme Planning and Development Council Khalid Mahdi said advanced stages of the new traffic strategy project related to traffic safety were completed, and it will reduce the documentary cycle in dealing with traffic accidents. Mahdi said the project is included in the development plan projects and is being executed within the framework of the national document signed between the council's secretariat general and UNDP. Mahdi said the traffic strategy aims at improving services of the traffic department in the field of dealing with traffic accidents and reducing the time to issue reports, as the report can be issued using modern technologies, using smartphones and the geographic information system (GIS), as the policeman can photograph the incident and send it to the concerned department through a project called 'photograph-record-move' without the need to go to the police station or obstruct traffic. Mahdi said there is coordination with the information technology systems center and investigations department at the interior ministry, adding that large number of traffic officers have been trained at US universities and advanced cameras have been imported for this project, while the GIS system has been upgraded to determine accident locations besides seeking to implement the instant payment of traffic fines, which is scheduled to start at the start of next year.

Absconding reports

The Manpower Public Authority (MPA) said the work of the absconding reports committee in cooperation with concerned authorities at the Interior Ministry resulted in resolving 1,588 complaints during last year and until May this year. It said that it was agreed, through coordination between MPA and interior ministry authorities, to cancel the absconding complaints for some cases including holders of Palestinian travel documents, children of Kuwaiti women, wives of expat workers who work in the private sector, first degree relatives of Kuwaitis and partners in a company's founding contract. It mentioned the importance of the absconding complaints resolving committee and the reasons for reforming it, as it is responsible for receiving the complaint from the employer, then summoning the employee to discuss the reason why he absconded, then try to settle the dispute in a friendly manner when possible. The authority said if this is not possible, the committee will take legal action against the absconding worker in coordination with the interior ministry to deport him.

Treatment overseas

The Health Ministry suspended work at the overseas treatment higher committee until further notice. This measure aims at organizing the work mechanism at the committee, besides preparing plans that guarantee the flow of work correctly.

Carcinogen chocolate report refuted

The public relations and information department at the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition said reports on social media regarding a chocolate product containing carcinogens are not correct. Chairperson of the higher committee on food safety Amal Al-Rashdan said after consulting international and regional organizations, it was found there is nothing to prove the authenticity of this story.

Embezzlement

The misdemeanors court sentenced a Kuwaiti engineer who embezzled KD 12 million from citizens and escaped to Iran to two months in jail. Lawyer of several citizens who were swindled said this is the first sentence and must be implemented, and she cannot appeal unless she is physically present. He said there are many more cases waiting for her.

By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi