Bomb Scare at Kolkata Airport Two Days Running: Threat Written on Aircraft Mirror, Search Finds Nothing
A bomb scare gripped Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for two consecutive days. On Saturday, reports of a bomb aboard a flight arriving from Phuket, Thailand, spread panic among passengers. After an extensive search, however, no bomb or explosive was found on the aircraft.
Airport sources said the flight from Phuket landed in Kolkata at around 3 pm on Saturday. After landing, cabin crew went to clean the lavatory and saw writing on the mirror that read: 'A bomb has been placed inside the aircraft.'
The crew were alarmed by the message and immediately informed the pilot and the airport's security officials. Within moments, the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay.
Passengers were brought out safely. Security forces and airport police then began searching the aircraft. Despite the extensive search, no bomb or explosive material was found.
Investigators initially suspect the threat message may have been written simply to spread panic. An investigation has begun to find out who wrote it.
Sources said the flight's passenger list is being examined to identify who wrote the message. Footage from the airport's CCTV cameras is also being reviewed.
This was not an isolated incident. On Friday, too, a bomb scare spread at the same airport over false information. That day, a threat note was found in the women's lavatory of the airport, also claiming a bomb had been placed. That claim, too, turned out to be false.
Two similar threats on consecutive days have raised the question of whether an organised group is behind them. Investigators are examining that possibility as well, sources said.
In the end, neither incident produced any explosive. But repeated hoax threats of this kind are putting major pressure on airport security arrangements and spreading fear among passengers.
Identifying the person responsible for the latest incident is now the main focus of the investigation. Attention is on whether the passenger list and CCTV footage yield any clue.
