The area around Montaña Mina, in the municipality of San Bartolomé, was the scene of a large-scale exercise last Wednesday, April 22. The main objective was to verify the effectiveness of action protocols and the coordination of rescue teams in the event of an air disaster.
The simulation recreated the crash of an aircraft that, coming from Teruel Airport, suffered an incident during its approach to César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport. These types of scenarios allow for the evaluation of preparedness for critical situations in a sensitive environment such as an airport.
During the drill, the Cabildo de Lanzarote activated the Lanzarote Territorial Emergency Plan (PEIN) in emergency phase as a test. Likewise, the activation of the PLATECA by the Government of the Canary Islands was simulated, which was deactivated at the end of the exercise.
These types of drills are fundamental for improving preparedness for real emergencies. They allow for the detection of possible flaws in protocols, optimizing response times, and strengthening coordination among the different bodies involved.
The exercise included attending to 13 affected individuals, three of whom were considered deceased and ten allegedly suffered injuries of varying severity. This scenario allowed for the evaluation of healthcare and logistical response capacity in a mass casualty situation, involving personnel from Civil Protection, firefighters from the Lanzarote Security and Emergency Consortium, Civil Guard agents, and Red Cross staff, among other resources. The General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands deployed an Advanced Command Post for the coordination of the exercise.
