Czech and German fire-fighters train in burst oil-pipeline simulation

Czech and German fire-fighters have joined forces in the west Bohemian border town of Rozvadov for a simulated exercise involving a burst oil pipeline. Around two hundred fire-fighters from both countries were involved in the simulation, which involved the bursting of the 347 kilometre long Ingolstadt-Waidhaus-Nelahozeves pipeline, built in 1995, which runs thorough the region. The simulation is one of the largest ever undertaken in the area and is designed to test preparedness and existing plans in the face of a real-life accident involving the pipeline. Although smaller-scale training exercises are undertaken regularly, this was the first major training exercise to revolve around an oil-related disaster. In reports following the simulation, it was announced that the exercise had gone to plan, with Czech fire-fighters reaching the scene within 21 minutes and German fire-fighters arriving within 37 minutes of the simulated accident being announced.