Plane ‘crash lands’ at Mangalore airport, tests rescue preparedness

Fire fighters, police, hospitals take part in the mock drill

ON THEIR TOES: Fire fighters evacuating the injured even as doctors and nurses swing into action in a mock drill at the old airport at Bajpe in Mangalore on Tuesday. — PHOTO: R. ESWARRAJ

An aircraft with 67 persons on board crashes while landing at Mangalore International Airport on Tuesday. Six persons die and the rest survive the accident. The mock scenario did test the rescue service of various organisations in the city.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducted the full-scale emergency mock exercise as it was mandatory to do it as per the regulations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) once in two years. It chose the old airport at Bajpe to conduct the exercise.

A model of aircraft had been placed outside the compound wall to make it believe that the aircraft had overshot the runway. It was set afire at 4.15 p.m.. A few minutes later two crash tenders of the AAI rushed to the spot and began dousing the fire using foam. It was followed by four fire tenders of city fire brigade (State government). A person with fire retardant suit was seen dousing the fire closely.

Fire brigade personnel, police and other rescue and health workers, including nurses, evacuated the injured from the spot. The injured were categorised into three groups — those who needed immediate care (priority I) , delayed care (priority II) and minor care (priority III).

Ambulances of government and private hospitals, which arrived on the spot, shifted the priority I patients first to hospitals. The entire exercise was over in 20 minutes.

Familiarisation

J.T. Radhakrishna, director of the airport, told presspersons that the exercise was mainly carried out to test the efficacy and familiarisation of personnel of the AAI, the Central Industrial Security Force, airline operators, hospital personnel, fire brigade personnel and police in such incidents on the accident spot.

He said that in such incidents hospitals need to have burn treatment facilities to rescue the injured.

He said the mock exercise was also to be alert following the air crash on May 22, 2010 in which 158 persons died.

Ambulances and staff from Yenepoya, Unity, KMC, Father Muller hospitals, Wenlock Hospital, primary health centre, Bajpe took part in it.

In all, 200 persons took part in the mock exercise, he said, and added that the shortfalls will be reviewed.