MANSEHRA, Aug 4: An international non-governmental organisation has formed emergency response teams of trained volunteers who would extend support to affected people in case of a natural calamity in the district.

Helping Hand for Relief and Development organised a training workshop at its rehabilitation centre here on Sunday which was attended by volunteers from Mansehra district, particularly from Balakot which was flattened in October 8, 2005 earthquake.

Besides others, head of emergency response programme Azmat Akbar and head of rehabilitation centre Mohammad Shaukat spoke on the occasion.

Mr Akbar said that the trained volunteers would now impart training to their respective emergency response teams being constituted in different parts of the district to provide help in case of natural calamity and shift people to safer places.

He said that his organisaiton had been working in 21 districts of the country where so far over 50 emergency response teams were constituted.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shaukat said that a large number of people had lost their limbs in 2005 earthquake as nobody was there to rescue them.

“It is unfortunate that thousands of people were not provided timely emergency treatment and they remained buried under the rubble for days following 2005 earthquake,” he said.