'Don't Panic, Drill,' Say Cops Amid Evacuations At Mumbai Airport

Mumbai Airport's Terminal 2 was evacuated this morning for a safety drill, police said, urging people not to panic amid social media buzz.

"A mock drill is being conducted at Mumbai International Airport. No one needs to panic," the Mumbai Police said.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) conducted a simulated mock drill exercise as per scheduled security protocols. The mock drill was held this morning at Terminal 2 location in collaboration with (the) CSMIA's multiple stakeholders. After all successful assessments and checks, the terminal was continued to be declared safe with the drill completed at 11:48 hours," read the official statement by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

Pictures were shared on social media showing passengers being moved out of the airport.

Officials said the drill was not expected to affect the schedule of the flights.

Some passengers, however, were caught off guard as the evacuation process began; even the staff was moved out, auto journalist Cyrus Dhabhar tweeted.

He also shared some pictures from the airport.

"Dear Sir, the activation is a scheduled mock drill only as per our security and safety protocols and measures," read a reply to his post on the official Twitter handle of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

Some people also complained that the safety drill was not well-planned.

"Total chaos at T2 Mumbai airport with sudden announcement of mock drill with total evacuation. Stuck & suffocating in a crowded bus on tarmac for last 30 min, along with about 15 other buses. No AC, no information. Complete Covid trap. Irresponsible & dangerous (sic)," read another tweet by producer Siddhartha Basu.