Sat, September 19, 2009
MEXICO CITY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- About 5.4 million residents of Mexico City took part in an earthquake simulation exercise that evacuated 12,142 buildings, head of the city's Civil Protection Department (SPC) Elias Moreno Brizuela said Friday.
Around 12,000 police, 2,000 firefighters and 500 SPC staff were mobilized for the exercise on Friday, Brizuela said, adding that the Red Cross, local volunteer group the Emergency Medical Rescue Squadron had also participated.
Emergency services practiced rescue works at the National Lottery building in Mexico City's biggest avenue, Reforma, while paramedics evacuated people with injuries that would be consistent with a building collapse.
International observers will submit reports on the measures taken by rescuers seeking to improve the logistics of the yearly rehearsal.
Thousands of Mexicans died in 1985 when a real earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings in the city.
