The Civil Protection Department, police and armed forces will test their earthquake preparedness on Wednesday in an exercise which will be held in the Selmun area. 

The exercise will be held between 7.30am and 4pm. 

Destructive earthquakes in Malta are rare but not unknown. According to historical records, an earthquake in January 1693 demolished several buildings, including sections of the Mdina cathedral. The last tremor to cause damage in Malta was in 1923.

The disciplined forces hold earthquake preparedness exercises every few years, including major exercises in 2012 and 2015.

Last February, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said the Civil Protection Department had received specialised training should an earthquake or tsunami hit Malta.  

CPD officers received training abroad several times in the past 13 years with the most recent exercise taking place last year.  

Other training exercises overseas took place in 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2019, he said. 

Also in February, the CPD deployed a team to assist in search and rescue in Turkey after a devastating earthquake there. 

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