XIAMEN, Fujian - Maritime authorities from the mainland and Taiwan marked a historical first by launching a joint search and rescue exercise in the Taiwan Straits on Thursday.

The land-sea-air drill, involving 14 rescue vessels, three helicopters and more than 400 participants, featured a scenario in which two vessels collided in waters between the port city of Xiamen and the Kinmen Island of Fujian province.

In the exercise, rescue personnel from the mainland and Taiwan simultaneously received a distress call from a ship in the Straits and dispatched rescue and medical units to the site after consulting each other and coordinating their efforts.