ASEAN holds first joint disaster drill<\/p>\n
MALAYSIA: Some 200 personnel took part in Southeast Asia's first
\njoint disaster drill on Monday, aimed at preparing the region to
\nrespond more effectively to events like last year's tsunami
\ntragedy.<\/p>\n
Search and rescue personnel, including sniffer dogs and their
\nhandlers, swarmed over a 20-story abandoned building on the
\noutskirts of the Malaysian capital which under the simulation had
\n\"collapsed\" in a major earthquake.<\/p>\n
Rescuers used shovels and their bare hands to remove rubble
\nand extract \"victims\", while fire fighters extinguished simulated
\nfires in the wreckage, and police units were on standby to arrest
\n\"looters\".<\/p>\n
\"This is first ever kind of disaster exercise conducted
\njointly by ASEAN countries,\" said Raman Letchumanan, head of the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) environment and
\ndisaster management unit.<\/p>\n
\"It is to establish a standard operating procedure so that in
\nthe future if we have another disaster, we can respond quickly
\nwithout delays,\" said Raman, from the ASEAN secretariat in
\nJakarta. -- AFP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-holds-first-joint-disaster-drill-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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