CPD rescuers on earthquake exercise

A group of 25 volunteers from the Spider group of the Civil Protection Department is to head for Germany today for its first overseas search and rescue exercise.

They will join volunteers from Germany, Holland and the UK in a simulated rescue following an earthquake in an urban area.

The exercise is being held near the German town of Wesel.

The Spider group volunteers are fully qualified in search and rescue operations on land and on the sea.

Their role in the exercise will be to take part in a coordinated search for survivors and then to recover the survivors.

The volunteers met Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici this morning and explained that the exercise will be quite realistic since the village where it will take place is itself in ruins.