PATNA, May 8 -- In a coordinated civil defence preparedness exercise, the Bihar state administration conducted a 10-minute crash blackout mock drill across seven cities on Wednesday. The drill, scheduled between 7:00 PM and 7:10 PM, was part of a nationwide directive from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to test emergency response during air raid scenarios. Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh had briefed about the exercise a day earlier and had urged people not to use alternative sources of power during the 10-miinute period and take it as part of preparation for any emergency situation. Cities where power supply was temporarily cut included Patna, Purnia, Katihar, Begusarai, Barauni, Araria and Kishanganj. Warning sirens were activated shortly before the blackout to alert residents to the simulated air raid situation. Officials said this mock drill was designed to train citizens on how to respond during an emergency and evaluate the readiness of civil defence systems. Essential services, including hospitals, remained unaffected during the brief blackout. Fire services, police and other administrative bodies were mobilised to ensure a smooth execution of the exercise. The Patna district administration had deployed fire tenders and emergency teams across key locations. Students were also sensitised about emergency protocols as part of the broader awareness initiative. Patna SSP Awakash Kumar said it was security rehearsal to ensure better preparedness should any emergency situation arise and make the people aware of the dos and don'ts. "There is no reason for the people to panic," he added. The SSP said in the wake of Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, security had already been beefed up across all important locations across the country and the mock drill was aimed at sensitising the people. Patna district fire officer Manoj Nut said fire tenders had been placed at 79 locations across the state capital for siren. Patna airport's new terminal also witnessed a mock drill exercise to check fire preparedness....