Bomb scare on Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi turns out to be hoax

New Delhi: Recovery of a chit with the words "bomb @ 5.30 am" found inside a Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight just minutes before take off from Delhi airport on Tuesday morning sent security officials into a scramble. However, a search of the aircraft found it to be a hoax.

176 passengers were immediately evacuated via emergency exits following the threat, as security personnel conducted a thorough search of the aircraft. 

Videos that surfaced on social media showed passengers exiting through emergency doors. One of the visuals showed a cabin crew officer helping a woman walk on the wing by holding her hand and helping her reach the emergency slide. One of the pilots were also seen sliding out of the aircraft using the emergency slides.

6E-2211 flight was supposed to depart at 5 am and land in Varanasi by 6:25 am. However, post the bomb scare. the flight finally took off at 11:10 am, upsetting travel plans of several passengers who were headed to the temple town.

A senior police official said they received information around 5 am regarding the recovery of a paper in the lavatory with the phrase "bomb @ 5.30 am'' written on it. But, no suspicious items were found. It was a hoax threat. Further investigation is underway," the official said.

The recovery of the chit occurred as the aircraft was getting ready to take off from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. "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.

All passengers were safely evacuated via the emergency exits and an alternate aircraft was arranged for them later. The passengers were also provided with refreshments, the spokesperson said in a statement. 

Recently, several schools and colleges across the country have received emails threatening to blow it up but all of them have turned out to be hoaxes.