Blog Post from
Occasional Lapses Into Sanity. Linked here since these incidents seem to be becoming a part of city lifescapes.
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The other day We went to Lifestyles in Kalyani nagar to pick up some stuff. While there shareek-e-hyat decided to catch a movie at Meriplex across the street. So we picked up tickets for a 430 show and headed to crossword to browse through books while waiting for the movie time.
Around 420 just when we reach the counter to pay for selected books, suddenly security comes in and asks everyone to come out. At the main gate policemen are busy locking the door and everybody is being herded out. There is no announcement, no co-ordination just some security folks pushing people to a solitary open exit.
The exit as can be expected is jammed with people from multiplex rushing down and people from mall joining the melee. Total chaos, I shield s-e-h from behind while the front crush had to be navigated as it came. I almost could visualize the Pratapgarh tragedy preying Pune doesn't get one of its own. There is no police, no sign of security at this exit, to manage the flow or to help anyone stumbling on the stairs and getting crushed. All there is, is a crush of elbows into sides, boots on toes and fisticuffs.
We come out to a open field with bushes, s-e-h's toenail is broken in the crowd crush and is bleeding badly. There was no time or place to figure out if any one is injured, the first impulse is to rush to safety and somewhere where the toe can be kept away from crowd and dust. Few folks from security outside claim ignorance as to what exactly is happening. Wondering we decided to brave it out and find our way to car and get out. S-e-h is able to walk slowly so we decided to move away from the crowd and try and find a way to the car.
I figured out it cant be a Mumbai style attack happening since then it would have been foolhardy to get the crowd out in open. So maybe its a bomb scare. Anyways we walk ahead, s-e-h limping on and see Lifestyle up ahead. The road is being blocked and police forcing vehicles to detour. But Lifestyle itself is open. So I figured it must have been a bomb scare for Meriplex and situation at-least for now is fine otherwise. I asked a policeman what is happening and he just shrugs.
I got inside, picked up the stuff, got down to lifestyle parking and got the car out, it is past 5 now and people still waiting out, fire brigade etc in front of meriplex. So I took the other route back to home. Lucky thing the car was not parked in Meriplex else we'd have to wait till the scene cleared.
Next day Express mentions it was a mock drill conducted by police. And I think what the hell. Do you want people to die in stampedes. If s-e-h got injured I am sure many others did too. If you have to conduct drill at least ensure it doesn't kill anyone. Why wasn't security placed on the stairs to manage the flow? Why only 1 gate was kept open and that too was one with stairs! What did the exercise prove?
Papers mentioned movie screening was resumed by 4:15 - my foot, I came out on roads after 5 and it was still blocked.
When do will we realize its not ok to put people's life and limb in danger for the sake of a drill. What were the objectives of the drill? How soon a movie hall can be emptied? Sure announce people to leave and come down and stop them there once they are in open. To get an mall emptied? Open freaking all the exits and not crush 1000 people on a 3 feet wide staircase! Heavens forbid where there to be an explosion sound of any kind I am sure people would have died on that staircase!
Learn from these IT firms. We have regular fire drills and 3000 people can and do evacuate in under 2 minutes. Just herding people out like cattle with no management of evacuations is plain stupid.
Lets know no one else got injured or lost valuables. And Pune police folks next time you plan a drill, please PLAN it and not just execute.
