A bomb threat joke allegedly made by a 12-year-old girl on board flight from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad triggered a security alert at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, officials said on Sunday. The class VII student, who was returning to Hyderabad with her fellow classmates and teachers after a school trip, told the students that there was a bomb in the flight ten minutes before the flight was touching the tarmac at Hyderabad airport.
Following Her statement, a cabin crew alerted the pilot, said police officials. Immediately after landing at the airport, as per the protocol, the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay and passengers were made to disembark. CISF personnel and police then carried out thorough anti-sabotage checks of the aircraft and the luggage. “We did not find any suspicious objects,” said B Kiran Kumar, inspector at the RGI Airport outpost.
Officials added that the girl, a businessman’s daughter, was counselled through her teachers. “Since the incident involved a minor, no complaint was lodged and no case was registered,” the inspector said. All passengers and students were allowed to leave with their luggage after security screening.
The incident comes at the backdrop of the latest Air India bomb hoax on flight from Frankfurt enroute Delhi. The aircraft was diverted to Jaipur where it was scrutinized for a bomb. However, the threat reportedly was a hoax alert.