Kuwait Oil Company declares ‘state of emergency’ after oil spill on land

The Kuwait Oil Company declared a “state of emergency” on Monday following an oil spill on land, in an incident decried by environmental activists as a ‘recurring problem’ in the energy-rich Gulf state.

The emergency followed an “oil leak in the west of the country”, the state-owned company said in a statement, as video posted by Kuwaiti media showed a gushing pipe surrounded by a large slick of oil.

“No injuries have occurred as a result of the leak and production has not been affected,” company spokesman Qusai Al-Amer was quoted as saying, adding that no toxic fumes had been reported.