HYDERABAD: It was an incident needing prompt response. A passenger coach had climbed over another at the Bolarum railway station near Secunderabad and a few passengers were stuck inside, crying for help.
Rescue teams from the South Central Railway (SCR) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were pressed into service immediately and passengers were evacuated and relief arranged for those amongst them who were injured. This entire rescue and relief operation was completed in just 50 minutes. The said scene of disaster was not real but a full-scale technical mock drill conducted jointly by SCR and NDRF personnel at the Bolarum railway station on Friday.
The mock drill was conducted to assess and enhance the efficiency and alertness of the staff to meet the challenges that arise during an accident. In all, 110 personnel trained in disaster management, including 30 from NDRF, 45 from Secunderabad division, 20 from Hyderabad division, 15 from Railway Protection Force were involved in the drill.
The objective was also to test disaster time equipment. Tools such as saber saw, abrasive cutter to cut the window rods and the coach body, which facilitates easy lifting of injured passengers and evacuate them from the affected coaches were used. A 140-tonne crane and an accident relief train were also put to use. Speaking to the media, Hyderabad divisional railway manager Aruna Singh said railway staff were trained in disaster managaement, rescue and relief operations.