Mock Mall Attack In India Causes Panic

Mumbai police mistakenly caused a major panic on Wednesday afternoon when they simulated a terror attack at Chembur Mall. Sound crazy? Believe it or not, it happened.

Over 300 policemen carrying AK-47 rifles and wearing bullet-proof jackets cordoned off K Mall near Diamond Garden in the morning and began firing dummy bullets. As the mall is located on the arterial Sion-Trombay link road, a crowd soon gathered to watch the drama unfold, starting rumours of a terrorist attack. From there, panic spread.

The mock drill only lasted about 90 minutes but phone calls inquiring about the `terrorist attack’ came from as far as Delhi. Shoppers ran about in a frenzy, and it was a half an hour before it was announced that it was only a mock drill.

The exercise was initiated by zonal deputy commissioner Dilip Patil. To make matters worse, schools nearby sent children home early, which only led to further rumors about a school bus being hijacked by terrorists.