Chaos broke out at Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi airport on Saturday (Apr 26) after a Canadian national aboard a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight claimed that he was carrying a bomb, police said on Sunday (Apr 27).

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The Canadian has been detained by security personnel for further questioning, the police added, according to PTI.

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Following the bomb scare, which resulted in panic among the passengers aboard the IndiGo plane, the aircraft was quickly moved to the isolation bay for a thorough inspection, said Puneet Gupta, the airport director. However, the threat was found to be a hoax.

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Gupta said that the flight crew promptly informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the threat after the individual claimed to be carrying a bomb. Following this, the flight was grounded and inspected as per standard security protocols. 

Also read | Delhi’s Red Fort and Jama Masjid receive bomb threats, police declare it hoax after thorough checks

The officials said that the flight departed for Bengaluru after receiving clearance from the security agencies on Sunday morning.

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A detailed investigation into the matter is underway.

Also read | Pahalgam terror attack: Karnataka man reveals chilling account of 'monstrous act'; 'brains and senses were numb'

Thiruvananthapuram airport bomb threat

Earlier on Sunday (Apr 27), Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport received a bomb threat via email. Several hotels in the city also received similar threats.

According to the airport’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), bomb disposal squads were deployed for a thorough inspection of all terminals.

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In 2024, a total of 728 hoax bomb threats were received by airline operators across India. In February this year, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in Parliament that 13 individuals were arrested in connection with the threats.

“In order to deal with hoax bomb threats, BCAS has issued advisories to all the Civil Aviation stakeholders in the country to ensure streamlined security measures and to prevent any unlawful interference with civil aviation,” the minister had said.