BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhuanet) -- China plans to set up three more offshore helicopter rescue teams this year to guarantee safety in sea areas, said sources with the Ministry of Communications Friday.
The North Sea No. 1 helicopter rescue team was scheduled to be launched this April and the rescuers with two helicopters would bestationed in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, said an official with the ministry who asked to be anonymous.
Another two helicopter rescue teams, the East Sea No. 2 and theSouth Sea No. 1 helicopter rescue teams, were expected to be set up within the year, said the official.
At present, China has only one helicopter rescue team, namely the Shanghai Offshore Helicopter Rescue Team stationed in Shanghai,which will be re-named as the East Sea No. 1 helicopter rescue team.
With the new expansion, the four rescue teams will be stationedin the Bohai Sea, Shanghai, Taiwan Strait and Qiongzhou Strait foremergency help on the sea.
China's offshore rescue work was still in its early stages and could only operate in daytime within a distance of 80 sea miles, said the official.
To better develop China's maritime rescue system, the Ministry of Communications purchased four helicopters this year for offshore rescue, which will be put into use in 2006, according to China News Service on Thursday. Enditem
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