site.btaSearch and Rescue after Water-related Aircraft Accident to Be Practiced during Exercise SAREX-24

Exercise SAREX-24 will be held on the Danube River near the village of Mechka, Ruse Region on Thursday to practice search and rescue after an aviation accident and actions to mitigate its effects. The event has been organized by the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) under the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Directorate General of Fire Safety and Civil Protection under the Ministry of Interior.

CAA Director General Anelia Marinova commented: "It will be a very important exercise to test how the whole system works and how well the coordination among all participants has been organized." She said such exercises are conducted almost every year. This time, the aim is to test the system for responding to water-related aircraft accidents.

The exercise will involve employees of the rescue unit of the Maritime Administration, the Air Traffic Services Authority, the fire service, the police, the ambulance service, the regional office of the Bulgarian Red Cross, the local Environment and Water Inspectorate, the governments of Ruse Region and Ruse Municipality, the border police, and the 112 emergency call service.

The Bulgarian Air Force will commit personnel and materiel from the Krumovo and Chaika air bases.