BENGALURU: As part of preparedness training for disaster management, the Bengaluru Division on Thursday conducted a mock drill at the Yesvantpur railway station. A scenario was created in which two coaches were derailed and forces cut open windows to rescue 15 injured passengers.
According to an official release, the training was carried out by Railways in association with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Two coaches of a train were derailed to emulate a train accident around 10.30 am. With railway officials posing as injured passengers inside coaches, said an official release. “The information on injured passengers was relayed through siren a art of mock exercise. And then the assistance of NDRF ad SDRF was sought.” he said.
The NDRF team arrived and joined the railway accident relief team at 10.44 am. “The SDRF team joined them and commenced rescue operations.” A unified command centre was set up near the spot and a medical wing set up to render first aid to injured passengers rescued from the coaches, the release added.
Windows were cut open to rescue the stranded passengers from the coaches and first aid was rendered by the Railway and the NDRF medical team while the Railway Protection Force cordoned off the accident site to facilitate rescue operations.
“A total of 15 passengers were rescued from the capsized coaches. It was a display of planning, co-ordination and execution by the Disaster Response forces for rescue of passengers at the quickest possible time,” the release said.
The exercise witnessed a speedy response from Ambulance (108) and private hospitals nearby which arranged ambulance services to the accident spot.
The NDRF team was headed by its Assistant Command J Senthil Kumar along with 30 rescuers as well as teams of SDRF, railway accident relief team and staff of railway departments.
M A V Ramanujan, Principal Chief Safety Officer, SWR, Hubballi and Shyam Singh, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, were among those present.