"The training on disaster preparedness is the biggest such exercise in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator in 29 years," Enkhbat Enerelbuyan, foreign affairs officer of the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told Xinhua.

"This training is being organized to improve the preparedness of all public and private entities in Ulan Bator in order to mitigate damages from possible natural disasters and to improve public awareness of disaster preparedness and response," she said.

"Around half a million people across Mongolia's capital gathered Thursday at a total of 111 temporary gathering sites and received information how to protect themselves and their family members and how to give first aid care during an earthquake," she noted.

In addition, more than 3,000 residents of the city took part in an earthquake evacuation drill, she added.

All households in the city have been provided with emergency preparedness handouts, the NEMA said in a statement.

The three-day preparedness training starting Wednesday includes emergency evacuation drills, workshops on how to protect oneself and one's family and how to send accurate information to the public during a destructive earthquake.

Mongolia has seen a significant increase in earthquakes in recent years, according to the country's government press office.

A total of 261 earthquakes were recorded across the country in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 70 from the same period last year. Enditem