Canadian national detained over hoax bomb threat on Varanasi-Bengaluru IndiGo flight

Panic broke out at Varanasi airport after a foreign national aboard a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight claimed he was carrying a bomb, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday night, police said, adding that the passenger, a Canadian, has been detained.

Security sleuths are questioning the man, officials said.

Following the bomb scare, the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay for a thorough inspection, but no explosive material was found, said Puneet Gupta, Director of the airport.

Gupta said the IndiGo crew promptly informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the threat after the passenger's claim.

The flight was grounded and inspected as per standard security protocols. After receiving clearance from security agencies, the aircraft departed for Bengaluru on Sunday morning, officials said.

A detailed probe is on in the matter.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI).