Sri Vijaya Puram, July 11: In a notable display of inter-agency collaboration and emergency readiness, the Andaman & Nicobar Command successfully executed a thorough mock drill on 10 Jul 25 at Veer Savarkar International Airport to evaluate response preparedness for an Air Crash scenario, which included Mass Casualty Evacuation.
The high-intensity simulation, coordinated by INS Utkrosh, aimed to assess the effectiveness of various emergency responses and the synergy among Military and Civil stakeholders. The exercise saw participation from key agencies such as INHS Dhanvantari, the Director of Health Services, State Disaster Management, GB Pant Hospital, Pillar Hospital, Civil Police, CISF, Airline Operators, and the Airport Authority of India.
The drill began with a simulated crash of a commercial aircraft. INS Utkrosh’s safety services team promptly sprang into action, extinguishing the simulated onboard fire and initiating casualty evacuation, followed by crash and salvage operations. Concurrently, the medical department of INS Utkrosh set up a triage area where trained medical teams administered initial resuscitation and first aid to the simulated survivors.
A total of 14 ambulances (06 from Armed Forces and 08 from civil authorities) arrived at the incident site without delay. The injured were transported to GB Pant Hospital, INHS Dhanvantari, and Pillar Hospital, where medical staff re-triaged 130 mock casualties. A crisis expansion ward was activated, and the preparedness of the surgical teams, operation theatre, and disaster management was evaluated.
The entire exercise was overseen by observers from the Andaman & Nicobar Command and the Civil Administration, ensuring an objective assessment and identification of response gaps.
This large-scale drill highlighted the Island’s strong contingency and disaster management framework and reaffirmed the collective commitment of Civil-Military agencies to passenger safety and disaster resilience in the region.
