Kochi: Civil defence mock drills were held in different parts of Kochi on Wednesday as per the directive of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the rising tensions with Pakistan triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack.

In the city, mock drills were held in crowded locations including Collectorate, Lulu Mall, Metro Stations, High Court and major textile shops. Fire and Rescue Service personnel and the Civil Defence volunteers associated with the force led the mock drills.

The drill was also conducted at Marine Drive, a key public hangout place. Police and fire force personnel alerted the people about the process ahead of the exercise and cautioned that there was no need to panic. The drill started at 4 pm with the long alert siren being sounded three times. The safety personnel enacted the scene where an injured person was given immediate attention before being shifted to a hospital in an ambulance. The fire force personnel moved the crowd from the lakeside to the other side of the walkway during the exercise.

Blackout mock drill was performed in places like Collectorate at Kakkanad and taluk office at Kothamangalam.

As part of the mock drill, various aspects of Civil Defence preparedness were assessed. During the drill, all lights were switched off as soon as the alarm went off. The drills lasted for nearly 30 minutes and ended with the sounding of the ‘all clear’ siren.

The Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) also conducted the civil defence mock drill in collaboration with the Kerala District Fire Force, Civil Defence team, CSL Fire & Rescue, CISF and DGR Guards.

The drill commenced with the sounding of the emergency siren and included a systematic shutdown of power and gas supplies across the shipyard to simulate emergency conditions. Strict movement restrictions were implemented to ensure safety, with personnel guided to designated safe zones within buildings and vessels. Special evacuation procedures were carried out at the main office and services building, where employees assembled on the ground floor. All entry and exit gates of CSL remained closed during the drill period, and hot work activities were resumed only after clearance from the respective Fire Watch and Safety Staff.

A debriefing session was held upon conclusion of the drill at 4.30 pm, highlighting the lessons learned and reinforcing best practices in emergency response.