Local authorities on the large southern Mediterranean island of Crete on Tuesday referred to the European exercise "Poseidon", which will test preparedness in case of a major earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The exercise is scheduled to take place in the southern part of Hania prefecture, which faces the Libyan Sea in the Mediterranean.
The exercise is being prepared for the past two years and will test the reaction of state mechanisms and the general population in case of a major natural catastrophe.
A map exercise will be held in the spring of 2011 and the actual exercise will take place between November 2011 and February 2012.
The region selected is southwest Crete, from Elafonissi to Aghia Roumeli in Hania prefecture, and the criterion used is the area's remoteness, in order to test intervention speed of those participating in the drill.
source: ANA-MPA
