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| India capital Delhi holds massive earthquake drill | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Disaster management forces in the Indian capital, Delhi, have held a massive drill to assess the preparedness of various agencies in the event of a big earthquake. | |
| The two-hour-long exercise was held in schools, colleges, markets, hospitals and on public transport. | |
| A number of metro railway stations were shut and road traffic was diverted in many areas. | |
| Delhi is among 30 cities in India that fall into a high-risk seismic zone. | Delhi is among 30 cities in India that fall into a high-risk seismic zone. |
| Officials said Wednesday's drill was the first of its kind in India. | |
| At a metro railway station, commuters gathered at the platform as usual when a piercing siren rent the air, followed by a public announcement that an earthquake had taken place. | At a metro railway station, commuters gathered at the platform as usual when a piercing siren rent the air, followed by a public announcement that an earthquake had taken place. |
| Most people were caught completely unaware; many were bemused, others began giggling in amusement at the sight of policemen racing down the stairs. | Most people were caught completely unaware; many were bemused, others began giggling in amusement at the sight of policemen racing down the stairs. |
| But that soon changed as the police and civil defence volunteers dressed in bright yellow jackets began herding people out of the station. | But that soon changed as the police and civil defence volunteers dressed in bright yellow jackets began herding people out of the station. |
| Panic set in as people raced up the escalators - "Is it for real?" asked one panic stricken woman as she tried to push past the turnstiles. | Panic set in as people raced up the escalators - "Is it for real?" asked one panic stricken woman as she tried to push past the turnstiles. |
| On the ground, mock casualties were being attended to by medical personnel, even as the emergency staff tried to place some of them on stretchers to take them out. | On the ground, mock casualties were being attended to by medical personnel, even as the emergency staff tried to place some of them on stretchers to take them out. |
| Disaster management officials said the drill was meant to "create a number of simulated situations like collapse of flyovers, crack in metro pillars, damage to hospitals and collapse of residential buildings due to an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale". | |
| Reports say the exercise involved 242 schools, 31 colleges, 22 hospitals and 13 government buildings. | |
| Two petrol stations, three high-rise buildings, eight shopping malls, seven metro railway stations, six fly-overs, and the new airport terminal were also involved. | |
| "There will be no tremors felt, but there will be a response to the eventuality of an earthquake," Vijay Dev of Delhi Disaster Management Authority told The Indian Express newspaper before the drill. | |
| "There will be dummy injuries and casualties. There will be large-scale evacuation exercises. The [mock] injured would be rushed to hospitals." | "There will be dummy injuries and casualties. There will be large-scale evacuation exercises. The [mock] injured would be rushed to hospitals." |
| Mr Dev said disaster management forces needed to learn from the drill. | Mr Dev said disaster management forces needed to learn from the drill. |
| Delhi, along with the cities of Amritsar and Chandigarh, falls under the high risk (zone IV) seismic zone. | Delhi, along with the cities of Amritsar and Chandigarh, falls under the high risk (zone IV) seismic zone. |