A search and rescue drill for natural disasters such as storms and floods was held in the Thanlwin River in Mawlamyine, Mon State, and this year’s drill included a new plot of rescuing people in water, according to the Bo Bo Win Social Rescue Association.
The search and rescue rehearsal took place in Thanlwin River at the jetty west of the High Court in Mawlamyine on the morning of 6 June and was organized by the natural disaster management committee.
Participants in the rehearsal included firefighters, staff from the Mon State Natural Disaster Management Department and the General Administration Department, members of the Red Cross Society, six social rescue associations and local people from the wards, and Chief Minister U Aung Kyi Thein and officials attended the event.
“Rehearsals are held every year. This year, we have added a new feature: rescuing persons floating in water. Another point is that we focus on displaying the equipment of social associations, including vehicles and the workforce. In previous years, we cooperated with respective fire brigades, but we didn’t show their equipment. This year, we showed rescue vehicles and equipment. This is something special for this year. We were also able to present our requirements to the chief minister and ministers,” he said.
This rehearsal aims at providing systematic, organized, coordinated and timely responses in search and rescue operations in case of natural disasters, and only if the rescue teams conduct such rehearsals every year will they be able to provide practical assistance to the victims of possible natural disasters, he added. — MT/ZN/ED
