Dramatic scenes unfolded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport as the 176 passengers onboard the IndiGo flight were evacuated via the emergency exits following the bomb threat. Panic gripped after a bomb threat received from Delhi to Varanasi bound IndiGo flight (6E2211) at the IGI airport here on Tuesday morning prompting authorities to move the aircraft to an isolation bay for a thorough investigation.
This is not an isolated case. There has been a growing concern over the escalation of such bomb threats, which not only disrupt daily life but also instil fear and uncertainty among citizens. Forget this year; the month of May alone witnessed a rise in bomb threats right from airports and schools to hotels.
Upon landing, security personnel, firefighters, and ambulances arrived at the runway. Passengers were evacuated through the emergency gate and moved to a safe zone. Subsequently, the bomb squad and dog squad conducted a thorough search of the plane. According to police, nothing suspicious has been found so far and a search of the aircraft found it to be a hoax.
The footage shows the pilot sliding out of the aircraft using the emergency slides, highlighting the tense moments following the threat. An elderly woman passenger and an IndiGo crew can be seen coming out to the wing of the plane through the emergency exit, with the airhostess helping the passenger walk on the wing by holding her hand as she takes her to another emergency slide.
Delhi Airport Authorities confirmed that all passengers were safe. "All passengers are safe and the flight is undergoing a detailed inspection", it said.
A statement by IndiGo read, "IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi had received a specific bomb threat at Delhi airport at 5.35 am. All necessary protocols were followed and aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies. All passengers were safely evacuated via the emergency exits. The flight is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area."
"An alternate aircraft was arranged to operate flight 6E2211 from Delhi to Varanasi, which was delayed due to a specific bomb threat at Delhi airport. The passengers were provided with refreshments and were boarded. The flight departed for Varanasi at 11:10am. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers," the airline said in a statement," it said.
According to the Delhi fire service, "There was news of a bomb on the flight going from Delhi to Varanasi at 5:35 AM today. Quick Response Teams (QRT) arrived at the spot".
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said that at around 5 a.m., information was received regarding a paper found in the lavatory of an Indigo flight scheduled to depart for Varanasi, with the word bomb@5.30 written on it.
On May 27, Mumbai Police received a threatening call indicating the presence of bombs at both Taj Hotel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. After a thorough search, the police said that "nothing suspicious was found".
Earlier this month, more than 150 private schools in Delhi received bomb threats. Major institutions like Delhi Airport and Safdarjung Hospital have also faced similar threats multiple times. Although searches have not revealed anything suspicious, these threats create panic and spread terror among the public. The police department has not yet identified those responsible for the threats but remains constantly on alert due to their recurrence.
In a similar incident on May 16, a tissue paper, with the word "bomb" written on it, was found in the Air India flight AI819 lavatory at Delhi airport, prompting security agencies to conduct an inspection, but it turned out to be a hoax. Earlier this month, an Air India flight to Vadodara in Gujarat received a similar bomb hoax before it was set to depart. In that case too, a crew member had found the word "bomb" written on a tissue paper left inside the lavatory, requesting in the flight being sent to an isolation bay.