Mock drill: terror attack, stampede at Lotus Temple

The police, waiting inside the temple, started evacuation but there was a shortage of stretchers to carry those "injured". Fire brigade reached at 12.01pm and a PCR van reached the spot five minutes later. The bomb squad came even later at 12.56 pm.

Situation: Stampede triggered by a terrorist attack at Lotus Temple
Time: 11.45 am
Response: The police, waiting inside the temple, started evacuation but there was a shortage of stretchers to carry those "injured". Fire brigade reached at 12.01pm and a PCR van reached the spot five minutes later. The bomb squad came even later at 12.56 pm.

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Loopholes: The response was clearly lax. Though the drill focused on coping with a stampede situation triggered by a terror strike, any attempt at coping with either was absent. However, police officers present there claimed that they could handle the situation if the need arose. "In an emergency situation, this tends to happen and there can be some crisis. However, we are making sure that medical teams are always prepared to tackle the crisis and people get immediate help," said Surender Narang, SDM, Defence Colony.

Toll: Five people were "killed" and 55 injured with various degree of wounds.