Press sent to non-existent plane crash

ZIMBABWEAN aviation officials told news organisations yesterday that a Boeing 767 arriving from London was involved in an accident at Harare's airport, then told journalists rushing to the scene it was only a drill.

David Chawota, head of the Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority, said that the incorrect information was given out to make the drill realistic.

"Telling the media was part of the exercise. We wanted to see how the media would react," he said.

"In the event, the drill was a success because all our systems worked perfectly. Police, security and hospital staff reacted swiftly along with the media," he said.

Emergency hospital facilities in Zimbabwe have suffered acute shortages of equipment and drugs in the nation's economic meltdown.

Emergency services are ill-equipped to handle bus crashes and highway accidents.