New Delhi: A bomb threat involving a flight from Delhi to Indore caused panic at Indore Airport in Madhya Pradesh. The airport authority received the information through social media, leading to heightened security measures.
Indore Police responded by calling in the bomb squad, dog squad, and other specialist teams to thoroughly inspect the airport and the flight.
What the bomb threat message stated
According to additional DCP Alok Sharma, the threat claimed that there were bombs on the Alliance flight arriving from Delhi, stating that ten people on board were carrying explosives. The message sent to the airport authority suggested that “everyone will go to their graves,” raising serious concerns. Following this, the airport authority informed the aerodrome police.
Once the flight landed, every passenger de-boarding from the aircraft was carefully checked by the police. Both the bomb squad and dog squad conducted searches inside the flight. However, no suspicious items or people were found during the investigation.
Case registered
Additional DCP Sharma stated that the information appears to be a rumour, and a case has been registered against the unknown person who sent the threatening message. Authorities are currently working to trace the sender through their IP address. Sharma also said that Indore Airport Authority has previously received similar threats.
This incident follows a comparable scare at Jodhpur Airport earlier in the day, where a bomb threat was reported for an Indigo flight coming from Pune. Fortunately, that flight landed safely, and thorough checks were conducted without any findings of danger.
Previous bomb threats
Over 30 flights operated by Indian airlines received bomb threats on Saturday, causing significant disruptions for passengers and airport staff. Airlines such as Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air reported receiving threats, which were primarily communicated through social media.
In response to the situation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) convened a meeting with the CEOs and representatives of these airlines in New Delhi. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the ongoing security threats and to coordinate an effective response.
So far this week, over 70 domestic and international flights have been targeted by bomb threats, with most of these incidents turning out to be hoaxes. Among the affected flights, Vistara reported six threats, while IndiGo and Akasa Air each reported five. In one instance, a note was discovered in the lavatory of a flight, claiming that a bomb was onboard.
Authorities are investigating the source of these threats. Despite the chaos, there have been no confirmed cases of actual explosives found on any of the flights.
