Magnitude 5 earthquake rocks Kuwait … no damage – Oil safe

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KUWAIT CITY, June 4, (Agencies): A 5.0-magnitude earthquake shook the southwest of Kuwait’s Al-Ahmadi earlier Saturday, said the Kuwait National Seismic Network (KNSN). In a statement to KUNA, KNSN Director, Dr. Abdullah Al-Enezi said that the quake happened at 4:28 am local time in Kuwait at depth of 5 kilometers, felt by a number of citizens and residents.

The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) confirmed on Saturday that its facilities and oil and gas production were not affected by the earthquake that occurred at dawn today. KOC said in a press statement that the oil facilities stopped for a short period during the quake as a precautionary measure in accordance with the company’s safety regulations, noting that it’s facilities are equipped with sensors that operate automatically when exposed to any natural disasters.

Ministry of Public Works and Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) announced on Saturday that no roads or projects were affected by the earthquake. In a statement for KUNA, the Ministry Spokesperson Ahmad Al-Saleh said that the no damage was recorded, and the ministry is continuing to check on roads to make sure everything is intact. Kuwait was jolted with a 5 degree quake at dawn today and the tremors were sensed by many citizens and residents of the country.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the parliamentary Environmental Affairs Committee MP Hamad Al-Matar disclosed that they will meet with senior officials in the oil sector, experts from Kuwait University (KU) and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) within this week to determine if the strong earthquake that hit the country on Saturday is related to the activities of the oil sector. He said the committee will also determine if the buildings in the country are subject to a certain construction code and if the precautionary regulations are strictly implemented. MP Osama Al-Shaheen urged the government to make a detailed presentation or issue a statement on the earthquake, which he considers unprecedented in terms of its strength and impact.

He also asked Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and any entity concerned with seismic activities to submit their reports on the earthquake and its consequences. MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji made a similar demand, urging the government to make a television presentation to reveal the facts and reassure the citizens on the measures being taken to guarantee the safety of everyone during earthquakes.

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