Bomb threat evacuation mock drill conducted at Statue of Unity in Gujarat

Ekta Nagar: A multi-agency mock drill was conducted on Monday at the Statue of Unity here in Narmada district of Gujarat to assess the security personnel's preparedness and the structure's management in the event of a stampede due to a hoax bomb threat.

The mock exercise was jointly conducted by the district disaster wing, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and engineering conglomerate L&T under the supervision of Narmada Collector Shweta Teotia, an official release said.

While the CISF handles security of the famous 182-metre tall Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and surrounding attractions, the L&T has constructed the monument which attracts thousands of visitors every day.

The tourist attraction remains closed for the public every Monday.

As part of the mock drill which began at around 8 am, nearly 100 people posing as tourists present inside the world's tallest statue "panicked" and started running towards exit doors after learning about an unclaimed bag and spread of a false rumour linking it with a terror attack, said the release.

While one tourist got "unconscious" and fell on the floor, two others received "injuries" due to the stampede. Acting swiftly, L&T's response team brought these three tourists in the triage area for primary treatment and also helped other stranded tourists to reach the ground floor using an elevator.

A seriously injured tourist was immediately referred to a hospital in an ambulance, while the others with minor injuries were given primary treatment by doctors at the monument, said the release.

Upon getting a message from the management through the control room, CISF personnel swung into action and "evacuated" nearly 100 other tourists and brought them safely to the assembly area, it said, adding the personnel also checked each and every corner of the monument to ensure no one was left behind.

After completion of the mock drill, CISF's deputy commandant Nirbhay Singh chaired a debriefing meeting with other stakeholders to share the learnings derived from the entire exercise, the release said.