Biman flight triggers bomb scare at Kolkata
Pallab Bhattacharya, Kolkata
Indian security agencies yesterday found three unclaimed packets in a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Chittagong to Kolkata carrying 67 people on board after it landed here amidst full emergency condition following an anonymous phone call that explosives have been planted in the plane."Three unclaimed packets were recovered during thorough search by security agencies inside the aircraft (BG-697) from Chittagong," Regional Executive Director of India's Airports Authority S P S Bakshi said. He said the packets were sent to the cooling pit to examine if they contained explosives. The aircraft, Bakshi said, has been cleared to return to Dhaka after the search. All 62 passengers and five crew on the flight were taken out of the aircraft which was taken to an isolation bay immediately after it touched down at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport here at around 4:40pm. All the passengers were frisked and their baggage checked by security agencies. The anonymous call was received by the assistant commissioner of customs (Airport) at 1:45pm and it sent the authorities into a tizzy. Emergency was declared at the airport with the bomb disposal squad and the security agencies put on high alert. Airport Director V K Monga said another Biman flight was scheduled to land later in the evening and would undergo a similar search. Earlier in the morning, the airlines cancelled its first flight of the day from Dhaka to Kolkata before the anonymous call was received.
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