Marbella has staged a major earthquake and tsunami drill to test how the town would respond to a real-life disaster.
The exercise took place at El Faro beach on Wednesday and simulated an earthquake followed by the risk of a maremoto – the Spanish term used for a tsunami or seismic sea wave.
A total of 40 emergency personnel took part, including the Policia Local, Policia Nacional, firefighters, Civil Protection, beach lifeguards and the Salvamento Maritimo maritime rescue service.
The scenario began with a simulated emergency call to 112, triggering the activation of Marbella’s response operation and the establishment of an advanced command post.
Emergency teams then began clearing El Faro beach and moving people towards the Paseo Marítimo Duque de Ahumada, which sits at a higher elevation.
Around 20 people were evacuated from the water, brought back to shore and moved to a designated safe area.
Teams also practised treating and evacuating a person who had supposedly been injured on the sand.
The operation involved drones, quad bikes, boats, jet skis and ambulances, while maritime rescuers also practised responding to people stranded offshore.
Marbella tests new emergency plans
The exercise was designed to test two emergency protocols adopted by Marbella earlier this year, comprising the Local Action Plan for Tsunami Risk and the Local Action Plan for Seismic Risk.
Marbella’s councillor for Citizen Security, Jose Eduardo Diaz, said prevention and advance planning were essential to protecting both residents and the millions of visitors who come to the resort.
He said the drill allowed authorities to test protocols, cooperation between the different emergency services and response times in a realistic environment while members of the public were present on the beach.
Once the exercise was completed, there was a joint assessment of response times, communications and coordination to identify weaknesses and improvements.
The council said the operation was a planned exercise and formed part of Marbella’s wider preparations for potential emergencies.
