It was the city's major measure to defend itself against natural disasters during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), officials said.

Shanghai is on an alluvial plain - mainly made up of mud and silt - which is outside the country's earthquake belt.

According to the bureau, the city experienced three "noticeable earthquakes" in its recent history in 1984, 1990 and 1996.

One of the rescue team's key missions is to provide safety support to the 2010 World Expo.

"As a metropolitan city, Shanghai needs to improve its civil defense," Vice Mayor Yang Xiong said at yesterday's launch ceremony.

The rescue team will also be sent to earthquake disaster areas in overseas cities, particularly in Shanghai's more than 60 overseas sister cities - including Montreal and Saint Petersburg.

The team has 250 members, including doctors, firefighters and professional earthquake rescue workers.

The members are assigned to units across the city but if an earthquake happens, they will join up to form one unit.

They will also have regular training in dealing with different types of disasters.

Shanghai is also planning to set up 50 temporary shelters before 2010 for emergency use, officials said.

If an earthquake or other disaster happens, residents can be evacuated to the shelters, officials said.

The locations of the shelters are not known, but some of them will be within existing parks or greenlands, officials said.

The first shelter, which has been completed, is at Dalian Road Greenland in Yangpu District.

Each shelter could hold hundreds of people and will have power and water supplies, officials said.