Mock disaster tests emergency personnel

Published on 07 October 2026

A three-vehicle accident at Wunghnu on Sunday caused a hazardous material spill, injured multiple people, and triggered a hunt for a missing child.

Fortunately, none of it was real.

A multi-agency, multi-hazard, mock mass casualty exercise was held at Wunghnu on Sunday 4 October to give emergency services personnel hands-on experience with a disaster unfolding in real time on their doorstep.

The SES, CFA, Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police and Moira Shire Council were all involved, and arrived on the scene without knowing the scenario or what to expect – just like a real emergency.

The agencies were supported by local businesses providing catering, water and wrecked vehicles arranged to simulate a crash, while the ‘casualties’ were members of Nathalia Theatre Group – complete with ‘blood’ and ‘injuries’.

The scenario threw everything at the responders – a truck and two cars had collided. The truck was carrying two products that, when they spilled and mixed, were hazardous. There were injuries.

And to top it all off, a non-verbal autistic boy ran away from the scene, resulting in a line search to locate him.

More than 100 participants from all agencies were involved.