More than 200 people and 80 units of equipment will be involved in the exercises of rescuers from Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia

June 22, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Over 200 employees of emergency rescue and emergency recovery services, 80 units of equipment will be involved in the regional operational-tactical exercises of Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia, Deputy Head of the Vitebsk Regional Emergency Situations Department Alexander Yarmosch told a BELTA correspondent. The large-scale exercises will be held in the Polotsk and Miory districts on June 23-24. In addition to employees of the Vitebsk Regional Emergency Situations Department, the Republican Center for Emergency Management and Response of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus and the Republican Special Purpose Unit, rescuers from Lithuania, Latvia, and specialists from emergency recovery services of enterprises servicing product pipelines and oil pipelines will take part. During the training operation, modern equipment in service with rescuers will be used, including 4 helicopters and 2 aircraft of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus. According to Alexander Yarmosch, the training situation is modeled on real events. The main goal of the exercises is to practically work out a set of measures taken in emergency situations, to check the coordination of interaction in eliminating accidents and their consequences, and to develop practical joint actions of services of neighboring states. The exercise scenario provides for work to eliminate the consequences of two emergencies resulting from the rupture of oil product pipelines on the Western Dvina River and its tributaries. The training situation will be complicated by a sudden fire at the site of diesel fuel spill, and a forest fire. Another complicating factor will be the explosions of shells from the Great Patriotic War at the fire site and injuries to people who accidentally found themselves in the epicenter of events. Thus, in addition to water purification activities, rescuers will have to extinguish fires, rescue victims and deliver them to the hospital by air. A parachute landing group of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the aviation of the Ministry of Emergency Situations will take part in extinguishing the forest fire. Rescuers from Latvia and Lithuania, according to the scenario, will take part in eliminating the consequences of oil product spills in the border area near the village of Uzmeny, Miory district. Their arrival in Belarus will be facilitated by customs and border services, which will thus practice their actions in case of a cross-border emergency during the exercises. The exercises are part of the international project "Strengthening Regional Capacity for Prevention and Response to Chemical Accidents with Transboundary Consequences in the Belarus-Latvia-Lithuania Region," designed for 2008-2009. Its financing is provided by the European Union. International and regional observers will monitor the exercises. -0-