Kuwait: 140 beachgoers stranded in Failaka evacuated

Dubai: Kuwait’s Coast Guards on Monday evacuated 140 Kuwaitis and expatriates who were stranded on Failaka Island over the weekend, local media reported.

According to the Department of Security Relations and Information at the Ministry of Interior, the evacuation process was carried out under the personal supervision of Interior Minister Sheikh Thamer Al Ali Al Sabah.

The Kuwaitis and expatriates were spending their weekend on the island, located 20km off the coast of Kuwait City. They were stranded due to inclement weather that caused an intense sandstorm and poor visibility.

The ministry’s operations room dispatched rescue teams after receiving a report about the stranded people.

The Ministry of Health sent medical staff and provided ambulances to check on the condition of the stranded people upon their arrival.

The General Directorate of Coast Guards urged beachgoers to abide by security and safety rules, as well as to take caution, particularly during weather fluctuations. It advised them to contact the coast guard hotline 1880888 for any emergency.