Sirens rang and flashed as the whole gamut of emergency service vehicles was on Friday deployed to Marsaxlokk, where authorities carried out a tsunami drill.
Co-ordinated by the Civil Protection Department, along with the Armed Forces of Malta, the Police, Transport Malta, LESA and the health authorities, first responders spent the morning running an exercise on how they would respond if a 1.5-metre wave hit the coast of Marsaxlokk.
Gathering at a command centre set up next to the San Lucjan tower, authorities started to prepare for the possibility of an imaginary tsunami hitting the island at around 10am.
After receiving notice from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy that an 'earthquake', measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, had been registered, the CPD waited for confirmation from the University of Malta to determine whether the threat was legitimate.
Once they received confirmation, the authorities kicked off an evacuation simulation.
Officers guided them to three strategic checkpoints on high ground, where humanitarian shelters with medical services were assisting people and treating them for shock.
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
In a real-life scenario, the officers would consult from a wave map, focusing the evacuation mainly on the seafront - the most vulnerable spot in case of a tsunami.
Rescuers would then work their way up to the surrounding homes until the entire evacuation zone is clear.
Drones circling overhead throughout the simulation exercise streamed images of the streets back to the command centres, helping rescuers identify people left behind or those in need of assistance.
On Friday, residents and tourists who voluntarily took part in the exercise, waited patiently in the relief tents set up by emergency services, providing CPD officers with their details, so that they could be logged.
A large helicopter was also spotted hovering around the Marsaxlokk bay as rescuers ran a drill of rescuing people caught out at sea.
Holiday-makers bathing in the shallow water nearby look on unbothered.
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Once the fictional wave abated, rescuers were able to head down to the danger zone and assess the damage.
Rescue dogs were also on-site looking for people under the debris and helping those who might have been trapped in their own homes.
“While we have been very lucky in recent years, our country is not immune to natural disasters,” Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said on Friday following the simulation.
“There is no way to stop nature in its tracks, but we have strived to invest in a wide array of equipment and training our personnel as best as possible. These will be the people on the front lines if disaster does strike.”