NEW DELHI: Dramatic scenes were witnessed on Tuesday as passengers onboard an IndiGo flight bound for Varanasi in UP were evacuated following a bomb threat at Delhi airport. However, the threat was declared a hoax by the police.
In a purported video on social media, the plane was seen being taken to the remote bay area. The passengers could be seen getting out of the emergency exit door of the aircraft and later using an evacuation slide to come down.
DCP (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said around 5 am, information was received about a paper being found in the lavatory of an Indigo flight scheduled to depart for Varanasi, with the word ‘Bomb@5.30’ written on it. “Following the standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and no suspicious item was found,” the DCP said.
An IndiGo airline official stated the flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi had 176 passengers onboard. “The threat call was received around 5.40 am after which all necessary protocols were followed and the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies. All passengers were safely evacuated via emergency exits,” the airline official said.
An evacuation slide is an inflatable contraption for quick evacuation. An escape slide is needed on all commercial aircraft. In a similar incident on May 16, a tissue paper, with the word ‘bomb’ written on it, was found in an AI flight lavatory at IGIA, prompting an inspection, but it turned out to be a hoax.
Flight to Varanasi
A threat call was received around 5.40 am. The aircraft was taken to a remote bay. All passengers were safely evacuated, airline officials said. They said an alternative aircraft was arranged and passengers were given refreshments. The flight left for Varanasi at 11:10 am.