(ECNS) -- Rescue teams from 11 countries joined a multinational emergency response exercise in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Friday to Sunday, testing their ability to coordinate operations during complex urban disasters.
More than 300 rescuers from 21 Chinese and international teams took part in the event, which was organized by China's National Fire and Rescue Administration and hosted by the Guangxi Fire and Rescue Administration. Teams came from China, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and Laos, among others.
The exercise simulated a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that triggered a chain of secondary disasters, including collapsed buildings, traffic accidents, flooding, urban waterlogging and people stranded in isolated areas or trapped in vehicles. The scenario required international rescue teams to respond after the affected country requested humanitarian assistance.
Drills followed United Nations INSARAG guidelines for international search and rescue operations, covering the full response process from team registration and cross-border entry to joint situation assessment, task allocation, risk assessment and information sharing.
For the first time, earthquake response was combined with water rescue. Teams carried out operations including searches in collapsed structures and confined spaces, mountain rescues, traffic accident response, boat‑based searches and evacuations.
The exercise also showcased emerging technologies such as underwater robots, quadruped firefighting robots and large multipurpose drones, demonstrating how innovation can be integrated with conventional rescue methods in large‑scale disasters.
"The technology and innovations China has developed in search and rescue have impressed me," said a senior fire superintendent with Malaysia's Fire and Rescue Department. "I hope this will not be the end, but the beginning of more opportunities for cooperation in the future."
(By Evelyn)
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