A European crisis exercise involving rescue workers from Portugal, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Romania, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Germany is taking place in Hasselt until 12 October.
Assessment experts and a delegation from the European Commission are also present, to test the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM). This is an initiative of the European Council which coordinates the EU's emergency response to disasters. It has 37 participating states, including all EU members as well as ten other countries.
The ECPM was deployed during the recent floods and forest fires in Greece, Slovenia and Cyprus, as well as the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Since Monday, the intervention teams have been practising a catastrophic flood scenario, rehearsing the response to the kind of large-scale flooding that could affect Belgium – in particular the province of Limburg. This would see municipalities along the Meuse and in the Limburg mining subsidence area submerged.
The surge in water then could breach in a dyke along the Albert Canal, causing a leak of chemicals from a Seveso factory. To make matters even worse, victims would be trapped following the collapse of a hall at Park H, an events complex in Hasselt.
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Nine national emergency response teams are present at the Radisson Hotel in Hasselt for a "tabletop exercise", during which they will discuss how they would respond in the real world to such a disaster. A coordination team will also ensure collaboration between the intervention groups and liaison with the local authorities.
The aim of the exercise is to improve emergency response procedures and to ensure that the various participating teams obtain certification so that they can be deployed as part of the ECPM.
