On Wednesday, a bomb scare at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) Terminal 3 of Delhi caused an escalation of security checks before it was declared a hoax, officials said. As the Delhi Police reported, around 4 p.m. there was a call to the fire brigade control room with the information about the possibility of the explosive at the terminal. Bomb disposal team and dog squad, as well as a police team were immediately rushed to the scene.
The investigation, which had been started at the earliest opportunity, showed that the alert came as a result of an email that was sent to the grievance portal of the IndiGo Airlines, stating that threats were also to be made against the airports of Chennai and Goa. As per the standard practice, precautionary checks were carried out by security agencies in all the said locations to ensure safety of the passengers. This email was traced and nothing suspicious was located. One of the senior police officers confirmed that it was a hoax.
Around the same time, another Air India Express flight was also threatened on board by a security threat on a flight between Delhi and Varanasi. The spokesperson of the airline reported that the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee appointed by the government took an immediate alert. All the required security measures were taken in a timely manner. The plane safely landed in Varanasi and passengers were safely deboarded. The spokesperson added that the aircraft will resume once all the required checks have been conducted.
The event happened at a period when there were high levels of alert within the National Capital Region following the car explosion that had taken place earlier this week in Red Fort in Delhi and claimed the lives of at least ten people. Since then, investigators have been able to trace possible terror connection with the owner of the vehicle, which heightened the scrutiny in key public places.
Officials claimed that the concurrent threats were aimed at creating panic and not on occasion physical harm. However, the police have encouraged people to be more vigilant and report any suspicious activity. Security agencies are on high alert and all precautionary measures are being observed so as to ensure that people are safe.
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