Bomb scare on Varanasi-bound flight at Delhi airport, 176 passengers evacuated

A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight received a bomb threat at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Tuesday morning, 28 May, prompting authorities to evacuate 176 passengers and launch a search operation, officials said.

Anti-sabotage checks are on and nothing suspicious has been found so far, they said.

The officials said the threat was found written on a piece of paper in a lavatory when the Indigo 6E2211 flight was preparing to leave.

The pilot saw a piece of paper in the lavatory with the note "bomb blast @ 30 minutes", following which he informed the control room.

There were a total of 176 passengers on the flight who were deboarded, sources said.

The officials said the aircraft was taken to an isolated area and security agency personnel conducted a search operation.

“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 the emergency exits,” said an airline official.

“The flight is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area,” the spokesperson added.

More details are awaited.