KUWAIT, Oct 17 (KUNA) -- Board Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Sami Al-Rashid said Wednesday evening there is no hazard to public health from the gas leak which resulted from a drilling operation in north Kuwait earlier today.
"The concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas in the leakage is too low to cause any harm. Only a high concentration of this gas could pose risk to health," Al-Rashid said in statements to KUNA.
"KOC's technical teams are trying to burn the hydrogen sulfide emitting from the oil well to prevent the gas from mixing with the air pursuant to the safety regulations," he pointed out.
While residents of the nearby Al-Rawdatain neighborhood are evacuated as a precaution, other teams from KOC were deployed in several parts of the country to detect the concentration rate of the gas, he added.
Al-Rashid made the comments to allay the concerns about the strange smell which spread in the country this afternoon. (end) kt.gb KUNA 172352 Oct 12NNNN