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

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A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight received a bomb threat at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Tuesday morning, prompting authorities to evacuate its passengers and launch a search operation, reported news agency PTI.

Anti-sabotage checks are on and nothing suspicious has been found so far, the officials 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 at Delhi airport, sources told PTI.

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

According to the Delhi fire service, "There was news of a bomb on the flight going from Delhi to Varanasi at 5:35 AM today. Quick Response Teams (QRT) arrived at the spot".

Delhi Airport Authorities confirmed that all passengers were safe.

"All passengers are safe and the flight is undergoing a detailed inspection. All passengers were evacuated through the emergency exits without incident," the Delhi airport spokesperson said.

(With inputs from PTI)