(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, the terminal 2 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here received a bomb threat late night on Monday, which was later found to be a hoax.
“A person called up Delhi airport terminal 2 and said he had placed a bomb at the airport,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Bhatia.
He said that the person refuted making any such calls after he was identified by the police.
“The police is still carrying out a search as a precautionary measure,” added Bhatia.
Following the threat, the departure area was evacuated and passengers were shifted to another gate, according to the airport officials.
Arriving passengers were made to remain inside the aircraft. Normal terminal operations was restored, they stated.
Security has been beefed up at the airport ahead of Independence Day. The airport authorities have asked flyers to report early and have ordered the closure of ‘meet and greet’ area till August 20.
The domestic flyers have been requested to reach the airport minimum of three hours in advance and international flyers have been asked to reach four hours prior to their scheduled flight.
The enhanced security measures included through screening of passengers, tightening access control in aviation installations, strengthening of anti-terrorism and anti-sabotage measures, enhanced security in cargo terminals and parking areas and strict vigil on the movement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) around aviation installations, the sources said.
