A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight received a bomb threat at the airport here on Tuesday morning but a search of the aircraft found it to be a hoax, officials said. Dramatic scenes unfolded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport as the 176 passengers onboard the IndiGo flight were evacuated via the emergency exits following the bomb threat.
In one of the evacuation videos that went viral on social media, the pilot is seen sliding out of the aircraft using the emergency slides, indicating the tense moments after the threat.
In another video, an elderly passenger is seen coming out through an emergency exit of the aircraft with the help of a crew member.
"At around 5 a.m., an information was received regarding a paper found in the lavatory of an Indigo flight scheduled to depart for Varanasi, with the phrase 'bomb @5.30 a.m.' written on it," a senior police officer said.
A thorough inspection was conducted, the officer said, adding, "No suspicious items were found. It was a hoax threat. Further investigation is underway."
The officials said the threat was found written on a piece of paper in a lavatory by the pilot when the Indigo 6E2211 flight was preparing to leave from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
A security operation was launched after the pilot informed the control room, they added.
"All necessary protocols were followed and the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies," an IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said that all passengers were safely evacuated via the emergency exits, adding that an alternate aircraft was arranged later and the passengers were provided with refreshments meanwhile.
"The flight departed for Varanasi at 11.10 a.m. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers," the statement said.
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