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To ensure prompt responses to serious marine accidents and emergency situations, the maritime administrations of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will jointly launch a search and rescue exercise in the waterway east of Macau International Airport tomorrow afternoon (June 10).
The exercise aims to test the effectiveness of the maritime search and rescue plans of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and to examine their joint search and rescue abilities. The opportunity is also taken to check the emergency response plans of ferry companies.
As the sea passenger transport between various ports of the Pearl River Delta has remained busy amid the rapid economic development in the region, it is vital for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to conduct search and rescue exercises, especially for high-speed craft. The aim of these exercises is to better co-ordinate efforts made by their maritime rescue co-ordination centres.
Coordinating tomorrow's exercise are the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Bureau, the Unitary Police Service of the Macao Special Administrative Region, and the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Macao Maritime Administration, the chief co-ordinator of this exercise, is responsible for the overall planning and execution.
The exercise will simulate a scenario in which two Hong Kong-Macao high-speed craft collide. After receiving distress signals, the Macao Maritime Administration will promptly alert departments including the Macao Customs Service which will then take the necessary emergency action. The Guangdong Rescue and Co-ordination Centre and the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre will also be informed of the incident. A joint search and rescue operation will be mounted. Search and rescue resources will be tasked to go to the scene for assistance. The Government Flying Service of Hong Kong will deploy a helicopter for the exercise.
Ends/Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:03
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