LAHORE, Oct 4: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi will launch Pakistan’s first disaster rescue team in Lahore on Oct 8 to mark the first anniversary of the massive earthquake that wreaked havoc in the NWFP and Azad Kashmir last year.

The team will be launched at the Emergency Services Academy, Ferozepur Road. It is a specialised urban search and rescue team comprising 50 trained rescuers and is equipped with modern rescue tools.

The Punjab emergency service is the first trained force in Pakistan that had dealt with over 150 building collapse incidents only in Lahore. The experience was, however, limited to the use of rescue tools. Now the new team has been created

0with specialised search equipment and dedicated trained personnel.