Beijing authorities have set up 40 crack forces for fighting possible terrorism during the Beijing Olympics, the Beijing Times newspaper said Saturday.

The anti-terrorism teams, consisting of 188 experts, will be on duty around the clock from July 1 on, the report said, quoting a source with the Beijing municipal health bureau.

Their major tasks are to respond to biological attacks, nuclear and other radioactive accidents, bombing, chemical accidents or spreading infections, the newspaper said.

The command and control headquarters in the municipal government has constructed a network monitoring radioactive elements and inert gas leaks. Meanwhile, emergency rooms and outpatient desks in city-wide hospitals will immediately report any cases related to severe infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and cholera, the newspaper said.

The anti-terror teams are equipped with satellite communication vehicles, which will transmit live footage of any accident site to the headquarters and enable distance evaluation on any accident.

The municipal health bureau has set up contingency plans for public health threats and is expected to publicize four-color threat alert system, with the color of red indicating the gravest threat, the newspaper said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2008)