King attends civil defence drill with participation of Crown Prince

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, on Saturday attended a tactical drill conducted by the Civil Defence Department (CDD) in cooperation with specialised agencies in Aqaba, and with the participation of HRH Crown Prince Hussein.

King Abdullah was received by CDD Director Maj. Gen. Mustafa Bazaiah at the site of the exercise, which included dealing with a ship fire and chemical spills that cause explosions on the pier, according to a Royal Court statement.

In the drill, paramedics, firefighters, a hazardous material response team and a search and rescue team worked in cooperation with specialised civil and military agencies to deal with the simulated incident.

An MI-26 helicopter was also used to put out the fire and evacuate the injured, according to the statement.

Crown Prince Hussein participated in the rescue operations using ambulance boats that have been introduced into service recently under Royal directives.

His Majesty spoke to participants in the exercise, voicing pride in their advanced performance and coordination, the statement added.

The drill, attended by senior officials and officers, was conducted to gauge the readiness of specialised CDD teams and enhance coordination among all state agencies dealing with major public safety incidents.