Upon the request of the Georgian government and the instruction of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Ministry of Emergency Situations sent a special rescue team equipped with rescue and firefighting equipment to Georgia on August 22 in order to aid in extinguishing the forest fires in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.

Axar.az reports citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations

According to the ministry’s information, the rescue team includes 79 personnel (equipped with individual firefighting equipment) of the State Fire Protection Service and its 10 firefighting vehicles, and 10 personnel of the Civil Defense Troops and its 4 equipment: “Moreover, two helicopters of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan with 26 specially trained rescuers of the ministry's Special Risk Rescue Service on board were sent to the site in order to carry out more operational rescue and fire-fighting operations in the areas with complex relief. It is also planned to set up field tents and mobile kitchens to ensure prompt and effective activity and living conditions and resting of the rescue team. All this will be provided by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan.”

In total, 15 equipment, as well as one helicopter and 126 firefighters of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and two helicopters of the State Border Service and a crew of 6 people were involved in the disaster zone. The two helicopters of the State Border Service with 26 specially trained rescuers on board have already arrived in Georgia. The equipment and manpower will soon cross the state border of Azerbaijan-Georgia.

One helicopter of the ministry’s Aviation unit with 11 personnel equipped with special equipment was involved in firefighting operations on August 22.