Bomb scare on Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight turns out hoax, fliers exit using slide

New Delhi: A bomb threat received on a Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Tuesday morning turned out to be a hoax, police said.

The bomb scare prompted authorities to evacuate all the staff and 176 passengers onboard and launch a search operation, officials said.

"At around 5 am, an information was received regarding a paper found in the lavatory of an Indigo flight scheduled to depart for Varanasi, with the phrase "bomb @5.30'' written on it," a senior police officer said.

A thorough inspection was conducted, the officer said, adding, "No suspicious items were found. It was a hoax threat. Further investigation is underway." The officials said the threat was found written on a piece of paper in a lavatory by the pilot when the Indigo 6E2211 flight was preparing to leave.

They said the aircraft was taken to an isolated area where the security agency personnel conducted a search operation following standard protocols.