DUSHANBE, September 30, Asia-Plus  -- A practical emergency response training was conducted for residents of the Qalai Surkh jamoat in the Rasht district, eastern Tajikistan on September 28, Asia-Plus has learned from Madina Sayfiddinova, a spokeswoman for Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society (RSC).

According to her, the practical training was staged by RCS in cooperation with the IFRC Delegation in Tajikistan under financial support of the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).

Tajikistan is located in an earthquake-prone zone, and therefore, the IFRC Delegation jointly with the Tajik Committee for Emergency Situations (CES) decided to conduct training seminars for the population to improve their capacities for emergency response, the spokeswoman said. 

Scenario of the practical training that was held in Qalai Surkh on September 28 was based on a powerful earthquake striking the area and leaving 44 families homeless.  The emergency teams had to carry out a rapid assessment of the situation, provide the first aid to the tremor victims and distribute humanitarian assistance.  The training showed good preparedness of the rescue teams for emergency situations, according to Sayfiddinova.  

We will recall that a tremor measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit a number of villages in the Rasht district on July 22, 2007, killing 3 boys from one family.  293 residential houses were destroyed completely and 1,100 others were damaged partially by the quake.  

Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society has 4 regional and 65 district branches across the country.