Patna: The spree of hoax bomb threats for flights continues unabated, the latest one sparked panic at Patna Airport on Wednesday night, delaying IndiGo flight 6E 6257 to Bengaluru by four hours. The incident occurred when a flight attendant discovered a tissue paper in the washroom with the ominous message: "Bomb two hour Happy Diwali."
Authorities swiftly sprang into action, alerting the CISF, ATS, and Special Branch teams. With no passengers on board at the time, the flight was thoroughly searched by dog squads and bomb experts. Luggage, both on board and belonging to passengers waiting to board, was checked exhaustively.
After an extensive four-hour investigation, no explosive devices were found. The flight, carrying 30 passengers, finally departed for Bengaluru at 1:30 am. The police are now scrutinising CCTV footage to identify the perpetrator. CISF officials confirmed that the flight was cleared, but the investigation will continue.
"This was a serious threat, and we took all necessary precautions," said a CISF officer. "We are working to identify the person responsible."
Over 500 domestic and international flights have received threats that later turned out to be hoaxes the past month. The threats were issued mostly through social media. The civil aviation ministry is looking to take legislative actions to tackle the menace of the hoax bomb threats to airlines.
