Some flights resume • Ports remain closed • 148 in shelters • KRCS ready to help

KUWAIT: Those affected by heavy rain will be compensated, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah affirmed on Thursday. His remark came during a meeting held, along with senior government officials, at the operations' room of the Ministry of Interior in Subhan earlier today. Lauding efforts exerted by concerned bodies in dealing with current weather conditions of the country, he pointed out that thanks to such efforts, damage was less; however compensations are due accordingly. The premier was briefed with plans and views of state establishments in face of the exceptional weather conditions.

The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) is ready to help citizens and residents affected by the lingering severe wave of heavy rains in the country, the director-general said on Thursday. KRCS has already set up a squad of volunteers to help affected people out of its belief in societal participation and national responsibility, Abdulrahman Al-Oun told KUNA. Volunteers will rescue stranded people and give detailed information about roads and highways that have to be sealed on account of floods, he elaborated.

Covering the six Kuwaiti governorates, the 70-volunteer team comprises of doctors, engineers and young people who are experienced in helping in accidents and disasters, he added. Furthermore, KRCS volunteers are helping the civil defense to provide food aid and blankets to the people who fled to shelters owing to heavy rains.

The weather will remain unstable during the day, with moderate to active southeasterly wind with speeds ranging from 20-50 kmph, said the Meteorological Department of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday. On its website, the DGCA noted there is also a chance of scattered rain, turning thunderous at times, causing visibility to decrease in some areas. The weather continues to be unstable at night, with moderate to active southeasterly to northeasterly wind with speeds of 20-60 kmph and a chance of thunderstorms. The volatility in weather conditions will continue until Friday morning, according to forecasts.

Air traffic at Kuwait International Airport fully resumed after being temporarily suspended because of the current unstable weather conditions hitting the country, DGCA said. Prior to the resumption, flights were redirected to Saudi Arabia's Dammam and Riyadh airports, as well as Bahrain's Manama airport, DGCA noted. However, airlines including Kuwait Airways, Emirates and British Airways had yet to resume flights. Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) announced Thursday it is continuing to suspended navigation at the three main ports of Shuwaikh, Shuaiba and Doha due to unstable weather conditions.

Kuwait Oil Company announced on Thursday that the latest wave of heavy rain affected neither regular work nor crude production at petroleum installations and sites. KOC said in a statement that special teams are present at work sites to deal with any water accumulation to ensure continuity of the operations and installations' regular functioning. It has affirmed its keenness on abiding by relevant safety, security and environmental regulations.

Kuwait's General Department of Civil Defense said that 148 people who were affected by heavy rains have been sheltered at 29 hotel apartments. These shelters were made available by the GDCD in Ahmadi governorate for the citizens and expatriates whose homes were damaged by the rains, GDCD spokesperson Col Jamal Al-Fuderi told KUNA on Wednesday night. Upon receiving notification from people in trouble, rescue teams rushed to offer a helping hand and took them to the nearest shelters, Fuderi added. - KUNA