Bomb threat in IndiGo flight, passengers evacuated through emergency door
What's the story
An IndiGo flight, bound for Varanasi was halted on the runway on Tuesday morning at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport due to a bomb threat.
The incident occurred minutes before the scheduled departure time of 5:00am.
"At 05:40 am, a phone call was received from the IGI airport regarding a bomb threat. A message 'BOMB BLAST @30 MINUTES' was written on a piece of paper inside the lavatory of the flight and was found by the pilot," an official said.
Safety measures
Passengers safely evacuated, no suspicious items found
The aircraft, carrying 176 passengers, was swiftly moved to an isolation bay for further investigation.
A quick response team was deployed for inspection but found no suspicious items on board.
According to officials, all passengers were safely deboarded through the emergency door without any incidents.
Further investigation is underway.
Twitter Post
Watch: Passengers evacuated via the emergency exit
#WATCH | Passengers of the IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi were evacuated through the emergency door after a bomb threat was reported on the flight. All passengers are safe, flight is being inspected.
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024
(Viral video confirmed by Aviation authorities) https://t.co/el2q5jCatx pic.twitter.com/ahVc0MSiXz
Official statement
IndiGo statement after the incident
Later, IndiGo released an official statement confirming the bomb threat incident.
The airline stated, "IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi had received a specific bomb threat at Delhi airport. All necessary protocols were followed, and the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies."
The aircraft is currently undergoing inspection and will be repositioned in the terminal area after all security checks are completed.
False alarm
Bomb threat turns out to be a hoax
According to reports, a senior Central Industrial Security Force personnel has said that after thorough inspection, the bomb threat turned out to be a hoax.
This incident follows recent similar threats sent via email to various establishments across India, including government offices, schools, colleges, hospitals, airports, and hotels.
Earlier this month, a tissue paper with the word "bomb" written on it was found on an Air India flight lavatory in Delhi, but it had turned out to be a hoax.