Meghalaya conducts statewide air raid, blackout mock drill ‘ARMEX-I 2026’

SHILLONG: The Directorate of Civil Defence & Home Guards, Meghalaya, Shillong, conducted a mock exercise on air raid and blackout titled "ARMEX-I 2026" across all districts of the state on April 24, 2026.

The exercise was carried out in two stages. Stage I included simulations of search and rescue operations, fire response, evacuation and medical response, while Stage II focused on air raid sirens and a blackout simulation.

Stage I was conducted from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The Civil Defence siren sounded at 3:00 pm in all districts to signal the commencement of the exercise and simulate an air raid. At 4:00 pm, the siren sounded again to indicate the "All Clear" signal and the conclusion of Stage I. Following the completion of this stage, officials conducted a debriefing session with inputs from all districts.

Stage II was conducted from 6:59 pm to 7:02 pm. At 7:00 pm, the Civil Defence siren sounded to signal an air raid and the commencement of the blackout. The blackout lasted for two minutes and concluded at 7:02 pm with the sounding of the "All Clear" siren, marking the end of the exercise, stated a press release.

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