Some 220 firemen from Quang Ngai Police Department and the FirePrevention and Combating Department under the Ministry of PublicSecurity took part in a fire-fighting drill conducted on Wharf No 1 atDung Quat Port on March 20.

Doctors from Quang Ngai HealthDepartment and representatives of the Binh Son Petro-Chemical Co Ltd,the operator of Dung Quat Oil Refinery, also participated in the drill.

Underthe scenario, after a fire broke out at 8:30 am on an oil tanker dockedat the wharf, the fire-fighting forces from Dung Quat Port and tankercrew members took measures to stamp out the fire and prevent it fromspreading to other port facilities.

Quang Ngai Police Department,the provincial health authority and Binh Son Petro-Chemical Co sentfiremen and doctors to the site to fight the fire and administer firstaid.

Crew members from the tanker who jumped into the sea were rescued and taken to safety.

The "fire" was extinguished in 30 minutes and oil spill response forces used buoys to prevent the oil from spreading out to sea.

Thedrill was part of the 8th National Labour Hygiene Safety and Explosion,Fire Prevention, and Combating Week launched by the Quang Ngai People'sCommittee.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Rie Vejeldgaard, headof the International Labour Organisation in Ha Noi, said businessesshould pay greater attention to labour hygiene safety and explosion/firecombating because it benefits labourers while concurrently creatingfavourable conditions for sustainable business development.

Theceremony was attended by about 1,000 representatives of the Government,the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the businesscommunity and locality representatives from Central Vietnam./.