Bomb scare at Delhi airport after 'suspicious object' found in passenger's check-in luggage

New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was sent into a tizzy on Thursday afternoon after a suspicious object was found in the cargo screening of an Indigo Airlines flight, media reports said. Aiport authorities said the Bureau of Civil Aviation is investigating the incident.

#FLASH: Suspicious object found during security screening of a passenger trying to board an Indigo flight. More details awaited. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/Hao7XG4AFa

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2017

Suspicious object found before loading into cargo bay of Indigo flight not pax screening; Bureau of Civil Aviation Security investigating. https://t.co/9EvdLduVw0

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2017

Incidentally, a flight that took off from Delhi made an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday night, after an unclaimed mobile phone was found in the cabin that created a major security scare.

The Times of India quoted sources as saying in flight crew sent a distress message to Bangkok by “squawking” code “7700” after entering Thai airspace, fearing this phone could be a bomb. On receiving the distress message, the plane was sent to a remote bay at Bangkok airport on landing, and was also given additional security.

A Jet spokesman was quoted as saying in the report, “Jet Airways flight 9W 66, Delhi to Bangkok of September 20, 2017, with 121 guests and eight crew members, initiated the safety drill as per standard operating procedure, upon discovering an unclaimed and suspicious electronic device on-board. The aircraft landed safely and all guests were deplaned. The airline and its crew are fully cooperating with the Thai authorities in the ongoing investigation. At Jet Airways, safety of its guests, crew and assets is of paramount importance and the airline regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests.”

Earlier, on 8 September, a full security alert was declared at the Delhi airport after a hoax call claiming a bomb would go off on a China-bound flight was received late in the night.

A bomb threat assessment committee (BTAC), involving CISF security officers and IGI officials, was immediately convened at the airport, and a full alert was declared at the airport, entailing enhanced frisking of arriving passengers and their luggage.

On 2 August , bomb squads and canine teams were rushed in to check a suspected object that was recovered in the cargo hold area of the airport, but was later declared as safe.

CISF director general OP Singh had said that the “suspect item has been declared safe and there is nothing to worry about”.

With inputs from agencies