KUWAIT: Interior ministry and fire force officials met Tuesday to discuss the factors contributing to a truck blaze on Al-Ghazali Road that paralyzed traffic for hours last week. The truck was revealed to have been carrying flammable materials. The meeting came following instructions from First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and was attended by Interior Ministry Undersecretary Lt General Anwar Al-Barjas and Fire Force Chief Khalid Al-Mikrad.

Officials discussed the mechanism by which concerned authorities will enact the measures required to prevent such accidents. They also explored ways to regulate the movement of trucks carrying combustible materials in line with international standards. In addition, specific times were determined for trucks to be on the road so as to ensure traffic safety. Text message scam In other news, the Ministry of Interior denied on Tuesday the validity of what is circulating on some social networking sites about the General Directorate of Traffic sending text messages asking people to pay a fine for not fulfilling their traffic violation fines on time.

The text message includes a link to a website which people are prompted to visit to pay the fine. The ministry said the website is a fraudulent replica of its official website. It called on people to avoid dealing with unofficial sites and verifying their validity before making any payments. The ministry said it was working to take the necessary measures against scammers. Passport renewals Also Tuesday, the minstry called on citizens to ensure their passports are valid for at least six months — and renew them quickly if expired — before traveling or applying for an appointment to complete their visa procedures.

“The process of renewing the electronic passport for those who have reached 21 years and over is done through the Ministry of Interior website and the application (Sahel),” the ministry stated. The interior explained that those under the age of 21 should visit any of the national identity centers located across the six governorates with their guardian.

“The receipt of the electronic passport is done through the self-service machines of the electronic passport, which are located in the national identity centers in the six governorates during official working hours from 8 am to 1:30 pm and in the evening period from 3 pm to 7 pm in the centers of (Shamiyah) and (Jaber Al-Ali),” the ministry clarified.