Tiruchi railway division determines readiness for emergency response

Exercise is carried out at periodic intervals, though not in between fixed durations

Tiruchi division of the Southern Railway ascertained its preparedness to respond to emergency situations through a mock drill on Thursday evening.

Frontline staff from the operating, mechanical, signal, and electrical departments besides the medical personnel acted in time upon receiving information from the control room about an accident at Velikoonagkurichi level-crossing in the Neyveli–Oothankalmangalam section.

The information passed on to the control room from the accident site at 5.05 p.m. was that a trespassing mini lorry was hit by a goods train causing the death of the lorry driver and injuries to two others.

Medical relief vans stationed at Villupuram and Tiruchi junctions lost no time in moving towards the accident spot. Meanwhile, a doctor from the Vridhachalam unit of the Railway travelled to the spot by road.

Information was also passed on to the 108 ambulance service and the district administration.

Exactly after an hour, the exercise was declared a mock drill. The exercise is carried out at periodic intervals, though not in between fixed durations.

The objective is that the staff on daily duty to respond to emergency situations must be ever on their feet, official sources said.

The exercise carried out on the instructions of Divisional Railway Manager P.V. Vaidialingam was monitored by senior divisional safety officer R. Subbian.