Bomb threat on Moscow-Goa flight was a hoax, no suspicious object found after 9-hour search

New Delhi:  After almost nine hours of detailed inspection, agencies on Tuesday confirmed that no suspicious object has been found in Goa-bound Russia's Azur Airlines flight and termed the bomb threat email a "hoax call".

The flight will soon be cleared for take-off.

Jamnagar District Collector Saurabh Pardhi said, "NSG and State Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) teams have thoroughly inspected the ZF2401 flight and found no suspicious substance. The flight will soon be given clearance and most probably by 10 to 10.30 am, it will be permitted to take off from Jamnagar airport for Goa."

The Moscow-to-Goa flight made an emergency landing at Gujarat's Jamnagar airport on Monday night following a bomb threat. Jamnagar BDDS team and later NSG team carried out a detailed inspection that lasted till Tuesday morning.

All the 236 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely and the plane is being checked by local authorities along with police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Inspector General of Police (Rajkot and Jamnagar Range) Ashok Kumar Yadav said.

"The plane going from Moscow to Goa was forced to make an emergency landing at the Jamnagar airport due to a bomb threat. After landing, all 236 passengers and crew members were deboarded safely. Police, BDDS and local authorities are searching the entire plane," he said.

An official of the Russian embassy in New Delhi said the embassy was alerted by the Indian authorities about the alleged bomb scare on the Azur Air flight en route from Moscow to Goa.

"The aircraft has made an emergency landing at the Jamnagar Indian Air Force base. Everyone on board is safe. The authorities are conducting a thorough inspection of the aircraft," the official added.

Meanwhile, a Goa Police officer said the flight that took off from Moscow and was supposed to land at the Dabolim airport in the coastal state was diverted to Jamnagar due to a bomb scare.

The Goa Police has beefed up security in and around the Dabolim airport as a precautionary measure, he added.

"The international flight from Moscow, which was supposed to land at the Dabolim airport, was diverted to Jamnagar due to a bomb scare," Deputy Superintendent of Police (Vasco) Salim Sheikh told reporters at Panaji.

All the emergency services are kept on standby at the airport, while senior police officers have held a meeting with the airport officials.  

(With PTI, IANS inputs.)