People in Bahrain are being urged to keep their distance from accident and emergency sites, such as fires, to allow authorities to carry out their duties efficiently and to avoid putting themselves in harm’s way.
Hidd Police Station head Colonel Dr Osama Bahar explained that one of the biggest challenges security personnel currently face is controlling crowds that gather at such scenes.
Speaking on the Al Aman social media programme, he noted that an already demanding job becomes significantly more difficult when large numbers of onlookers flock to the area.
“Curious onlookers can create confusion, disrupt movement, paralyse operations at the site, and delay rescuers from reaching victims,” said Col Dr Bahar.
“I understand that people simply want to know what happened, but in most cases, that curiosity ends up hindering the efforts of Civil Defence, the National Ambulance service, and other emergency personnel.
“People often stand in unsafe areas, obstruct rescuers, and focus on watching or taking photos and videos. Ultimately, they are not the enemy, but they may unintentionally cause significant problems.”
According to Col Dr Bahar, the challenge in such situations lies not only in managing a potentially dangerous scene, but also in the fact that large crowds require additional personnel to ensure everyone’s safety.
“We will need a team to handle the incident, search for victims, and assist them, and we will also need another team dedicated to managing the movement of pedestrians and traffic,” he explained.
“Meanwhile, a third team will have to co-ordinate the movement of Civil Defence and ambulance vehicles, which are large and require extra space to manoeuvre.
“Onlookers often don’t realise how much they can hinder rescue operations. Some stand far too close to the responders and the scene itself. Others park their cars improperly just so they can get out and watch, or they drive very slowly to get a closer look.”
Col Dr Bahar also noted that the primary reason onlookers are urged to stay away from disaster sites is the instability of damaged buildings.
He warned that tragedy can easily strike twice – unstable structures may collapse without warning, potentially increasing the number of victims and placing even greater strain on rescue teams.
“Another incident could easily occur while a large crowd is gathered,” he said. “This would only add to the burden on rescuers at the scene.
“Additionally, the chatter of onlookers can blend with the voices of victims calling for help from a vehicle, building or under the rubble. For those trapped, every second is critical, and we need to reach them as quickly as possible.”
Col Dr Bahar acknowledged that many people had good intentions and simply wanted to support their fellow citizens. However, he emphasised that the most effective way to help is by keeping away from the disaster zone and allowing trained professionals to carry out their work.
“Stand further away (from sites) for your own safety,” he said.
“Stay away from the debris and toxic smoke. In general, stay clear of areas where rescuers are operating, and let them do their jobs to give victims the best possible chance of survival.”
The advisory comes as Bahrain’s air defence systems intercept and destroy hundreds of missiles and drones since the onset of Iranian hostilities last week.
The BDF general command has advised people to stay away from affected areas and any suspicious objects, refrain from filming military operations or debris sites, avoid spreading unverified information, and rely solely on official sources for updates and advisories.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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