Bomb Scare at Delhi’s IGI Airport, 4 Other Airports Named; Air India Express Flight Evacuated After Mid-Air Threat
A hoax bomb threat email sent to IndiGo triggered high alert at Delhi’s IGI Airport and four others, while an Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Varanasi made an emergency landing after a mid-air threat; all passengers were safe.
Security personnel outside Delhi’s IGI Airport after a bomb threat email triggered high alert on Wednesday.
A bomb threat that an email sent to IndiGo’s grievance portal on Wednesday declared led to a big alert at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and at several other airports across India. However, the authorities later reasserted that the threat was a hoax.
The officials reported that the email not only talked about Delhi but also hinted at other airports like Chennai, Goa, Mumbai, and Hyderabad to take up security measures and increase the surveillance at all these places.
High Alert Issued at IGI Airport
Around 4 PM, IndiGo’s internal system caught the threat message. The security agencies including Delhi Police, the CISF, and the fire department were immediately activated.
A Delhi Fire Service officer said, “A call was received about a bomb at Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport. Following a detailed investigation, it was found that there was no suspicious object, and hence the call was declared a hoax.”
Air India Express Flight Evacuated in Unrelated Incident
In an unrelated security scare, an Air India Express flight (IX 1023) from Mumbai to Varanasi made an emergency landing at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport after a bomb threat was reported mid-air.
After landing, all 176 passengers were able to leave the aircraft safely, and a bomb disposal squad conducted a thorough examination of both the aircraft and the luggage.
A spokesperson of the airline said,
“The flight was subjected to a security threat mid-air. Following the standard procedure, the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee appointed by the Government was notified. The flight landed without incident, passengers were allowed to exit, and the aircraft will be back in service after the security check is done.”
Context: Security Concerns Intensify
These incidents occurred just a few days after a car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed 12 people. The investigators are suspecting the explosion to have been done by terrorists, which is the reason why the security agencies all over the country are that high on alert.
