Military personnel from Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia successfully completed a joint operation on Thursday where they rehearsed rescue procedures in the event of natural disasters.
Held in Vientiane, the exercise was attended by President Thongloun Sisoulith, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, General Samdech Pichey Sena Tea Ban, Vietnamese Minister of National Defense, General Phan Van Giang, and other officials.
Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia conducted the rescue operation on the river in Naxaythong District on Thursday. They performed search and rescue techniques, demonstrated rescue on land and water, and visited a field hospital simulation.
“This joint exercise was completed according to the intended purpose and plan, as well as ensuring 100 percent safety,” said Deputy Minister of National Defense, Major General Chanthong Sontaart.
“The exercise provided the chance for participants to exchange lessons, experience, and technical knowledge in order to develop unity, cooperation, and mutual understanding,” he added.
Close to 500 military personnel from each of the three countries participated in the training session. They practiced search and rescue operations in flooded areas, landslide-prone areas, and collapsed construction sites. Search and rescue of victims by water was also part of the joint exercise where patrol boats were used to search for people stranded in different areas. Divers stepped in to look out for people who might have been drowning, and other officers worked on the rescue and transfer of people by boat to a safe area.
Soon after, a Z-9 aircraft came in to look for people in remote places that boats could not reach. An Mi-17 helicopter flew rescuers in for a specialized operation to help people stranded in a flooded area that was filled with obstacles and fallen trees.
The exercise proved vital for the three countries to enhance their capacity to respond to all types of natural disasters. It also created opportunities for participants to share their experiences in such similar operations, as well as increase solidarity and trust between the armed forces of the three countries.
