Visakhapatnam: Waltair division takes up mock drill at Simhachalam station yard

Visakhapatnam: Waltair Division organised a mock drill, a real-time relief and rescue operation at Simhachalam station yard here on Tuesday.

Conducted under the guidance of divisional railway manager (DRM) Anup Kumar Satpathy, the Safety Department led by senior divisional safety officer Sakya Acharya conducted the relief operations on a real time basis.

Two coaches of a pilgrim special were derailed at the Simhachalam yard and rescue operations were carried out in them.

More than 200 railway employees from various departments rose to the situation for rescuing the passengers in the affected coaches, carrying relief operations and ultimately restoring the normalcy of the track for swift movement of traffic. ADRM (Infra) Sudhir Kumar Gupta and other branch officers took part in the mock drill.

Mock drill is an exercise to check preparedness of the railway personnel to meet the eventualities and rescue passengers with simultaneous relief operations.

Speaking on the occasion, the DRM said it's a drill to check preparedness of all the departments to react during disaster and develop communication skills as well as coordination. Such drills will continue to keep them ready to meet any odd situation, he said.

With the latest equipment, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) participated to prepare the frontline service personnel to have an exercise to tackle the situation. A fleet of 26 NDRF personnel involved in the operation under the command of inspector of the 10th NDRF command ProbinPhukan.

The Railway Protection Special Force, the RPF, state police, civil defence personnel joined in the rescue and relief operations.