VIJAYAWADA: A bomb threat mock exercise was conducted at the Vijayawada International Airport on December 30 between 11 am and 1 pm. As a part of the drill, a call was made to the terminal in-charge informing about the presence of a bomb in a gift box in the arrival hall and would explode at around 2 pm. A threat assessment was carried out while the airport director evacuated the arrival hall to carry out a search operation.
Post evacuation, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team conducted the search while fire services and ambulances were kept ready. After a search, a cardboard with RCIED components were detected by the team near the convener belt area. The BDDS team took the bomb to a cooling off area through the utility gate. After a thorough search, the Airport Security Unit (APS U) declared the terminal building as safe.