China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Friday held a medical training exercise in the wake of a simulated terrorist bombing, one day after the Ministry of Public Security announced the breakup of two terrorist groups in the northwestern area.

The exercise, under the direction of the health bureau of Urumqi, Xinjiang's regional capital, focused on an emergency response by medical institutions and authorities.

According to the exercise scenario, one terrorist in the disguise of a patient detonated an explosive device in the outpatient hall of the Friendship Hospital at 5 p.m., killing three or four people instantly and injuring more than 30.

The blast also set a few facilities on fire and caused poisonous gas to spread to the wards, threatening the health of the in-patients.

The Urumqi government instantly launched a public health emergency plan, blocking adjacent areas of the hospital and summoning medical experts from other hospitals to the site.

Within five minutes, an emergency headquarter was set up and nine ambulances with more than 200 rescuers arrived at the Friendship Hospital.

After one hour, the explosion site was in order with injured people sent to other hospitals and experts investigating the attack.

The exercise, the first of its kind in the city, was "successful" and provided experiences for possible attacks, said Vice Mayor Tong Zhaoling.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Public Security said they had smashed two terrorist groups who had planned to start terrorist attacks using explosives and poison in Beijing and Shanghai to wreck the Olympic Games and to kidnap foreign journalists, tourists and athletes during the Games.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2008)