Chapter 353: Chapter 174: Citywide Panic

Buzz—!

Just when the argument between the Hindus and the drivers was at its most intense, suddenly, the entire city was filled with the piercing sound of an air raid siren, echoing throughout Calcutta.

It’s an air raid warning!!

Everyone stopped what they were doing, their bodies tense as if they were drawn bowstrings, stiffly raising their heads to look at the sky. Their faces, painted with all sorts of colors of fear, turned pale and blue, covered in panic.

This was expected. Air raid warnings are used for civil defense during wartime, and for disaster forecasting and emergency alerts in peacetime during unforeseen accidents. Even a simulated air raid can make people think of disasters happening, and due to the human instinct to avoid harm, feeling anxious is a normal physiological reaction.

Buzz～ Buzz～

Ding!

The next second, drivers, passersby, and Hindus all reached for their pockets, even Gu Ji and others inside the military vehicle felt their phones vibrate.

He and Fatima took out their phones and saw a text message.

“According to the Central Cabinet’s disaster relief handling team’s notice, at 5:49 a.m. on October 17, the water storage level in the Faraka District had severely exceeded its limit. Damage was discovered at the eastern joint of the dam, which could trigger major flooding from the Hugli River. To ensure the safety of the metropolis citizens in Calcutta and effectively reduce the harm caused by the flood, a Level I natural disaster response has been initiated starting October 17, 2024, at 7:05 a.m., implementing a temporary citywide lockdown in the main urban area. Relevant announcements are as follows:

1. All stores, hotels, restaurants, enterprises, and factories in the main urban area (except for essential services like food, electricity, and water), along with schools, must be shut down. Major supermarkets supplying daily life essentials must immediately contact the disaster emergency command for coordination;

2. Road traffic control is enforced throughout the main urban area, suspending passenger bus lines and city public transport, taxis, except for military vehicles, police cars, fire engines, ambulances, medical vehicles, engineering rescue vehicles, official vehicles with passes from the city disaster emergency response command, and special case travel, all other motor vehicles are prohibited from road use;

3. All municipal government office staff in Calcutta, district committee office staff, police, fire, traffic, medical, and the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, are all involved in the emergency response action;

4. All residents in the main urban area are to be ordered by the nearby police, fire, and disaster emergency command office personnel, to move orderly toward the designated safety zones planned by the disaster emergency command;

West Bengal Calcutta municipal disaster emergency work command center;

Calcutta’s joint prevention and control mechanism for rainstorm and flood disaster;

October 17, 2024.”

“I didn’t expect the municipal government to act this fast…”

Fatima finished reading the text message, not surprised by its content.

Because whether it’s the air raid warning or the lockdown message, they were all part of the discussion Gu Ji had just had with the Bengal government officials on the airport runway. Not only messages, but also broadcasts, television, all media channels were currently under temporary control by the command center set up by the municipal government.

To relocate more than 16 million people, regular emergency response plans would simply not suffice. Unified command, responsibility by level and department, and the concerted effort of all city parties, military, and civilians from all walks of life is necessary to accomplish this within the shortest time.

Before successfully executing these actions, traffic control must be implemented first.

“Oh my God! The flood is coming!”

“Run! Run away! Everyone run quickly!”

“No, I have to pick up my child from school, my child is still in school!”

“My home still has a lot of valuable things, let me through, I need to go back and pack right now!”

“Why worry about things at a time like this, staying alive is more important! Hurry and escape! Police! Police, where is the safety zone, please tell us quickly…”

In an instant, all citizens were plunged into panic, and most people by the riverbank scrambled away as if fleeing from a plague. Vehicles at the intersection honked madly, attempting to quickly escape areas with water, leading to several collisions occurring consecutively.

But at this moment, no one cared if their vehicles were damaged.

Seeing the vehicles were stuck, some drivers decisively abandoned their cars, opening the doors and fleeing south, while motorcycles and yellow-green tricycles became the only feasible means of transportation.

“Brother! Wait, please take me with you, I’ll give you money!!”

“Take me! Take me!! I’ll pay!”

“3000 rupees per person! Only one seat left! Who wants on?”

“3000 rupees! Are you freaking insane?!”

“Damn wild boar! Get out of here! This vehicle is mine now!”

“Ah! My motorcycle! My vehicle! Don’t run!”

…

Fear can make people go crazy.

The three-wheeled taxi that usually charges just 12 rupees per kilometer was now asking for 3000, and some strong youths were even grabbing others’ vehicles on the spot. Frail elders were pushed aside, young children sat on the ground crying, and panicked men and women, disheveled, rolled and crawled in the floodwaters, as if it were hell on earth.

Fatima seemed frightened by the madness before her, her tongue stiffened.

“How did it come to this…”

“It’s quite normal, when people are worried and afraid, they forget themselves, forget everything, just trapped in their sensory fears, losing reason, instinctively venting emotions and protecting themselves, purely out of instinct.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep