Health and rescue staff in aircraft disaster exercise

At 9.45 a.m. yesterday, the airport control tower raised the alarm that a Boeing 737 with 33 passengers on board was heading towards Malta with engine trouble...

That set the stage for a full-scale mock emergency exercise, held for those departments whose staffs would be involved in the rescue and other operations in the immediate wake of an air disaster.

In the simulated exercise, the aircraft "skidded off" the runway and exploded into a ball of fire, sending thick smoke billowing high into the sky.

An Air Malta aircraft was used in the simulation while a mock aircraft was set ablaze, along with different parts of the airfield.

Under the Aircraft Accident Emergency Institutions those involved in such operations would be the Health Department, Malta Air Traffic Services, Air Malta, the Civil Protection Department, police headquarters, the armed forces, and the Department of Information.

Ambulance drivers, who are currently taking industrial action, did not take part. The health division said that the mock-up exercise still went ahead, using the airport's and St John's ambulances instead.

Passengers and crew were plastered with stage make-up to make the exercise look more realistic. Six of the passengers were "dead", while the "wounded" who could walk made their way out of the aircraft.

In the space of 20 minutes or so, a barren airfield was transformed into a hive of activity as over 200 health and rescue officials and scores of vehicles lined up at the "disaster scene".

Under the coordination of the chairman of the MIA Emergency Committee, Capt. Walter Willie, rescue personnel took care of the emergency evacuation while the army put up tents to tend to the injured and about five fire engines fought off the fierce fires.

At a press briefing, MIA head of security Mario Cuomo said the primary aim of the exercise was to verify the response time and the way the passengers were treated.

He explained that the aim for the rescue personnel was to be on site in the shortest time possible and ensure that all sectors were fully prepared for any eventuality.

All rescue officials were instructed that they were not to remove any traces which may establish the 'cause' of the incident.

As stipulated by AAEI, the exercise has to be carried out once every two years or so. Yesterday's drill was, however, the first which reporters were allowed to cover.