Mumbai Division of Central Railway conducts an annual joint mock drill with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assess alertness and response time during major accidents. A joint mock drill was conducted at Igatpuri UP yard on 22nd April 2024. An artificial accident scenario was created wherein a coach derailed and caught fire, trapping passengers inside the burning coach.
Insights From The Mock Drill
"As soon as the drill started, the coach was set on fire immediately. A message was given by the field staff to the control of Mumbai Division at 11:10 am." said an official. "The control acted immediately and sent a message to NDRF, Ambulance, Fire Brigade, and the Accident Relief Train (ART) of Railways, and all concerned parties. The Railway ambulance arrived at 11:15 am on-site. NDRF arrived at 11:19 am on-site and initiated the rescue operation immediately with the help of civil defense and the fire brigade", the official described the scenario.
"The fire extinguisher was used by railway field staff, and the fire was extinguished at 11:24 am. The City Police reached the site at 11:35 am. Accident Relief Medical Equipment (ARME) arrived at the site at 11:38 am. Simultaneously, NDRF and ART teams cut the roof of the coach from either end and rescued one casualty each. NDRF personnel entered the coach to evacuate passengers", the official continued.
"The RPF of railways also assisted NDRF in the evacuation of passengers. Fire brigade personnel entered the coach and completely doused the fire. The NDRF team with the Live Body Detection Dog Squad started a dog search at 12:06 am. An 8-year-old dog named “FERO” was part of the squad," said the official.
"All the stakeholders were found to be responsive, and the situation was controlled within an hour. ART started re-railing work at 12:03 noon, and the train was re-railed at 12:19 noon. This drill made the joint operation of railways with various disaster response agencies smoother and will substantially help in real-life situations," he said.
Central Railway's Commitment To Safety And Crisis Management
"The drill demonstrated Central Railway's commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of passengers through proactive emergency preparedness and effective response mechanisms. The successful coordination among various agencies underscores the railway's readiness to handle crisis situations efficiently. The Mumbai division aims for zero accidents and quick response if any such incident happens. These drills will continue to be conducted jointly by the railways for accident preparedness and quick response. This drill was coordinated by the Safety department of Mumbai Division, Central Railway," said Dr. Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of CR.
