GEORGE TOWN: Chaos briefly unfolded at the runway of the Penang International Airport (PIA) when over 134 passengers were seen ‘injured’ and ‘dead’ following a simulated explosion involving a Boeing 738 aircraft operated by ‘Harimau Kumbang Air’.
The scene, however, was part of a full-scale aerodrome emergency exercise, EX Harimau Kumbang, conducted to strengthen preparedness in handling an increasing number of air travellers and to highlight the importance of passenger safety.
The exercise, which began at 10 am, saw the ‘victims’ receiving immediate emergency assistance from the Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS), in collaboration with several agencies, including the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, Royal Malaysia Police, Ministry of Health, and the Civil Defence Force.
Cries of pain filled the air as the ‘victims’ were swiftly pulled from the aircraft site and moved to an open space, where security forces provided immediate aid before medical teams rushed them to hospital.
According to Barat Daya deputy police chief Supt Nermaljit Singh, the full-scale emergency exercise held at PIA was aimed at enhancing the level of preparedness in the event of a plane crash.
Speaking at a press conference after EX Harimau Kumbang, Nermaljit said over 550 personnel from 28 government and private agencies took part in the exercise, which aimed to evaluate emergency response plans and inter-agency coordination.
“In the exercise, a Harimau Kumbang Air aircraft suffered an engine fire and hydraulic failure due to a bird strike, forcing it to make an emergency belly landing.
“This exercise was conducted in full compliance with international and national aviation standards, as set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM),” he said.
Nermaljit said the full-scale exercise was conducted at least once every two years to evaluate response times, victim handling, and rescue operations at incident scenes, emphasising that the two-hour drill was crucial for maintaining high preparedness and effective coordination among all agencies involved.
He added that to avoid confusion and prevent the spread of misinformation on social media, the PDRM had advised organisers to inform the public in advance through official channels.
Meanwhile, AFRS Operations Services chief Noor Azirul Hafiz Maamor said PIA had informed all airlines in advance about the exercise to enable them to make the necessary arrangements.
According to him, PIA AFRS had issued two notices to inform stakeholders of the runway closure during the exercise.
“There were no aircraft movements, either take-off or landing, to avoid any untoward incidents, and flights scheduled during that time were diverted,” he said.
