Delhi Metro passengers move away from the train platform with their hands on their heads at a metro station during a mock drill conducted by the Delhi Police and Delhi metro authorities in New Delhi yesterday. Over 40,000 people in India's capital took part in a mass earthquake drill as the tremor-prone city of 16 million seeks to improve its preparedness for a disaster.Photo: AFP

Over 40,000 people in India's capital took part in the city's biggest ever earthquake drill yesterday as the tremor-prone city of 16 million seeks to improve its disaster preparedness.
"We want to find out how capable we are to deal with natural and man-made disasters. 'Be prepared' is the slogan for today," said RK Dheer, an official at the National Disaster Management Authority .
Students and volunteers took part in the massive drill in schools, colleges, hospitals, metro stations and crowded markets.
Dheer said the city's traffic department and transport officials were also involved in diverting traffic and suspending metro services.
"All of this is being done to know how we react during a crisis," he told AFP.