Catastrophe training hits Mijas

THE Mijas racecourse area is the scene today, Friday May 8, of an air catastrophe requiring 400 emergency, rescue and military members to intervene – although today, it’s just a training exercise.
Organised by the University of Malaga, the excercise is providing invaluable practice and experience for emergency workers from the area and as far away as Madrid who travelled to the Costa del Sol to take part.
Rescue techniques and emergency and medical protocols are being tested out, and university students taking a Masters in emergency counselling and intervention are trying out their newfound skills on the site of the drill, which simulates a plane crash with 100 victims strewn across a wide area.
The drill, which began early this morning, is due to last for 12 hours and along with army and emergency vehicles and teams, robots and drones designed at the university are being tested.