Thick flame and black smoke covered a portion of Multan airport runway as a result of a passenger plane crash landing, leaving heart-rending sight, cries of pains when the Civil Aviation Authority's fire vehicles, banging sirens, reached the spot to overcome fire within a few minutes.
A Multan-bound B-737, carrying 60 passengers, while on final runway 36, reported to control tower that its engine No 2 was on fire. The aircraft skidded to the eastern side of the runway and caught fire resulting in 8 dead and 34 injured. The injured were quickly rushed to Nishtar Hospital and CMH.
An army helicopter soon arrived and took seriously injured passengers to CMH for treatment. The whole scenario was part of CAA's full-scale emergency exercise 'RescueAir 2007', held at Multan International Airport here on Monday in which 25 different departments took part, including CAA, PAF, Pakistan Army, Police, CMH, city district government and others.
Talking to journalist, Multan Airport Manager Muhammad Ayaz Jadoon said that major objective of the drill was to ensure adequacy of response of all personnel, resources involved, emergency plans and procedures. He said that emergency equipment and communication among all associated agencies, and rectifying the deficiencies to update the standard operating procedures were tested.
The drill was conducted in three phases, which included extinguishing fire and the CAA's most modern fire fighting vehicles LFCT barracuda carrying 1200 litre foam and MFCT (METZ) drying chemical powder quickly started fire fighting. Army Aviation and city fire brigade vehicles provided support in fire fighting. In the second phase, rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with CAA, Civil Defence.
The casualties were quickly evacuated to CAA Hospital by Army Aviation, Nishtar, Civil, Railway hospitals and CMH. In the final phase, the ambulances of Edhi, Attiqui Trust and Rescue 1122 took a part in the drill to avoid untoward incident.
Four priorities were determined about patient-passengers, which included: Priority I of immediate care; Priority II of delayed care, Priority III minor care; and Priority IV of deceased and injured.
He said that this was the third exercise in last two months, while an emergency evacuation domestic fire fighting was conducted on September 8; night fire practice on October 18; and anti-hijacking exercise would be conducted in October 2008.
Jadoon said that around 25 different departments were engaged in the drill while the CAA provided logistics, venue, fire fighting, rescue, and evacuation, ASF provided security, passengers etc, PIA provided aircraft, buses, coasters, passengers, cabin crew; PAF ingress, manpower, admin & logistic support; Pak Army provided rescue helicopter, CFR vehicles, passengers; PSO arranged logistic support; Met office, Civil Defence, district police, traffic police, Nishtar Hospital, Civil Hospital, Railways Hospital and CMH provided doctors, paramedics, and ambulances.