Mangalore : A scene of tense situation prevailed at Mangalore International Airport on April 29, Tuesday, as the passengers were unaware of the routine mock drill exercised in the Airport premises.

It is learnt that the passengers were panicked for some time, as they witnessed thick black smoke emitting, sirens of fire tenders and ambulance tearing through the air, but had a sigh of relief, when they saw the officers directing the people with the model aircraft.

During the mock drill, the scene enacted with 35 passengers engulfed in flames and rescue agencies were rushed to the spot and carried out relief operations.

Several senior officials took part in this mock drill exercise to check the alertness of the authorities in times of sudden casualties.

Speaking on the occasion, Mangalore International Airport director JT. Radhakrishna said that the authority will conduct such drill once in every two years after the air crash of May 2010.

H S Varadarajan, chief of Karnataka fire and safety services department said that the department had received the call that an air crash has occurred at Mangalore Airport and we rushed to the spot with the fire engines and staff to carry out a mock drill since it is mandatory to carry out such operations once in two years.

Mangalore Airport Authority, CISF, police personnel, Fire Service Department, Health Department as well as the ambulances, doctors, nurses of Wenlock, KMC, Fr Muller, Yenepoya, Bajpe Primary Health Centre were part of the mock drill conducted under the leadership of Manjunath, Nodal Officer of the District Disaster Management Committee.