Thiruvananthapuram, May 7 (PTI) Mock drills were held at important locations in 14 districts of Kerala on Wednesday to prepare for a possible emergency in the backdrop of simmering tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
At the Collectorate building in Ernakulam, the drill started with an alarm and the lights were switched off.
The six-floor building at Kakkanad became dark, and the windows were closed to create a real-life emergency setting.
Soon, a fire was simulated on the upper floors. Smoke spread, and the building was quickly filled with darkness.
Rescue operations began immediately. Firefighters, police teams, and civil defence volunteers took part in the drill.
All people inside the building were safely evacuated.
The district collector also took part in the drill and supervised the rescue work.
One person was shown as injured during the drill. He was given first aid and placed on a stretcher.
With the help of the police, he was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance.
A civil defence volunteer showed great bravery by carrying one person on his shoulder from the upper floor to safety.
The fire was put out using proper firefighting equipment.
Similar mock drill was conducted at the southern entrance of the famed Guruvayur Temple in Thrissur district.
The drill was under the joint supervision of various agencies including Devaswom security personnel, temple police, fireforce and so on, the Guruvayur Devaswom said in a Facebook post.
The Civil Defence Mock Drill was successfully conducted at Cochin Shipyard also as part of its ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, an official statement said.
The exercise was coordinated in collaboration with the Kerala District Fire Force, Civil Defence team, CSL Fire & Rescue, CISF and DGR Guards, it said.
The drill commenced with the sounding of the emergency siren and included a systematic shutdown of power and gas supplies across the shipyard to simulate emergency conditions, it said.
Strict movement restrictions were implemented to ensure safety, with personnel guided to designated safe zones within buildings and vessels, it said.
Special evacuation procedures were carried out at the main office and services building, where employees assembled at the ground floor, the statement added.
The drill aimed to check how quickly and safely rescue teams can respond during a war-like emergency, government sources said.