Air India flight makes emergency landing in Thailand after bomb threat

An Air India flight from Thailand's Phuket to India's capital New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on the island, reported news agency Reuters, citing airport authorities.

There were 156 passengers on the flight AI 379 and were escorted out after the bomb threat was received.

After a preliminary search, there hasn't been any bomb found on the aircraft. The airport authorities are questioning the passenger who found the bomb threat note on the plane.

All teams from concerned agencies are into operations for security clearance. After security checks flight is scheduled to depart by 1530 hrs subject to all clearances, said the airport authorities.

Soon after taking off from the Phuket airport for the New Delhi at 9.30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Friday, the aircraft made a wide loop around the Andaman Sea and landed back on the southern Thai island, according to flight tracker Flightradar24.

The development comes a day after the Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport in which 241 people lost their lives.

A total of 242 passengers, including 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew were onboard the Ahmedabad-Gatwick Air India flight.

Among the passengers 53 were Britons, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.

Within 5 minutes of takeoff at 1:39 PM the plane crashed and turned into a fireball.

“It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” said the DGCA in a statement.

Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who is currently in hospital is the only survivor of the crash. While others, including 168 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, died in the fatal accident.