KUWAIT: Damaged equipment inside a power transformer room where a fire was reported in Salwa.

KUWAIT: An engineer and a technician, both Egyptians, suffered severe burns when a power cable exploded inside a power transformer room in Salwa. Police, firemen and paramedics responded and the injured men were rushed to Mubarak Hospital for treatment. The two victims are working for a company that has a contract with the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW), and they were performing maintenance work on the transformers. A source said following the repairs, the engineer and technician entered the transformer to start it, when a spark on the switchboard caused the fire. Minister of Electricity and Water Bakheet Al-Rasheedi ordered an immediate investigation to find out what happened. Meanwhile, MEW Undersecretary Mohammad Bushehri assured the technicians' health conditions were stable.

Knifepoint

A citizen pulled a knife at his mother and threatened to kill her if she did not give him money. When he got the money, he escaped. The mother went to the police station and told them he had been doing this for years. But she finally became fed up with him, and when she confronted him, he pulled a knife and took KD 700, she said, adding that she does not know what he will do with it. Police are looking for the suspect.

Injuries in fire

Four persons were injured during a fire in an Arabian-style building in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Kuwait Fire Service Directorate received a call about the blaze, so Ardiya and Jleeb fire stations responded. Four injured people were rescued as the building was evacuated, three of whom suffered from burns and the fourth from smoke inhalation.

KD 18,000 embezzlement

An Egyptian accountant embezzled KD 18,000 from a company, whom detectives arrested while he was under the influence of drugs. The accountant was absent from his work for a few days and could not be reached, then officials discovered KD 18,000 was missing, so a complaint was filed. Detectives were able to locate and arrest him, and plan to question him after he sobers up.

Traffic campaign

The interior ministry's relations and security information department said the technical inspection team of the traffic department carried out a campaign that resulted in issuing 38 traffic citations. Meanwhile, the ministry said in a statement yesterday that a vehicle was seen in a video being driven with its back door open, so the driver was called in and several citations were issued against him, including negligence, using the vehicle for purposes other than what it is licensed for and leaving the door open, in addition to endangering others' lives.

Policeman insulted

A female citizen insulted a policeman for issuing her a citation. The woman parked her car in a no-parking area, so the policeman approached her and issued her a ticket for obstructing traffic. The woman became angry and insulted him with indecent words, before driving off. The policeman then lodged a complaint against her.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun and Agencies