Note saying ‘bomb at 5:30’ found on Varanasi-bound flight, prompts evacuation

Passengers on a Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight were evacuated minutes before take-off at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at 5am on Tuesday after a note was found in the flight’s lavatory with the words “bomb at 5.30” written on it. The threat was eventually declared a hoax around 11 am, with the flight departing for its destination after that, officials aware of the matter said.

The flight – IndiGo 6E2211, was preparing for departure at around 5 am, when the note was discovered by cabin crew, resulting in passengers being immediately evacuated using the flight’s emergency exits and the flight being taken to an isolation bay, for security checks.

Dramatic visuals emerged on social media of the passengers and pilot trying to exit use the emergency exits of the flight. In one of the videos, the pilot is seen sliding out of the aircraft on the emergency slide. In another video, passengers are seen using the emergency slide at the rear-end of the plane. A third video shows a member of the cabin crew helping an elderly woman climb out of the emergency exit of the plane, onto the plans wing, in order to use the emergency slide.

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“IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi received a specific bomb threat at Delhi airport. All necessary protocols were followed and 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 IndiGo spokesperson.

In a statement after all checks were cleared, the airline said, “An alternate aircraft was arranged to operate flight 6E2211 from Delhi to Varanasi, which was delayed due to a specific bomb threat at Delhi airport. The passengers were provided with refreshments and were boarded. The flight departed for Varanasi at 11:10am.”

An airport official, when contacted, said the passengers were evacuated promptly and taken to a terminal building, till the checks were completed. The flight was carrying 176 passengers, which included two children.

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DCP (IGI) Usha Rangnani said the note was discovered minutes before taking-off. “At around 5 am , information was received regarding a paper found in the lavatory of an Indigo flight scheduled to depart for Varanasi, with the word ‘bomb at 5.30’ written on it,” she said, adding no suspicious items were found anywhere.

The incident comes days after a similar bomb threat was received by an Air India flight set to depart to Vadodara on May 16. In that case too, a crew member had found the word “bomb” written on a tissue paper left inside the lavatory, resulting in the flight being sent to an isolation bay. The threat too was declared a hoax later.

The DCP said the two incidents were being probed, to ascertain a connection.

“So far, no connection between those incidents have been found. However, investigation of both the cases are under process and exact picture will be clear only after completion of investigation of both the cases,” Rangnani added.