A passenger jet made an emergency landing in Mumbai tonight after a report of suspicious cargo on board, an Indian official said.
“The security agencies are checking the cargo,” said airport spokesman Manish Kalghatgi.
Delta flight 70 from Amsterdam landed at Mumbai’s international airport at 11pm local time and was immediately taken to an isolated bay, where it was being inspected by bomb squads and airport security, Mr Kalghatgi said.
All 244 passengers on board the plane were evacuated safely, he added.
“Delta staff in Amsterdam informed the pilot there may be unaccounted-for cargo on board,” he said.
The airport remains on high alert, but other flights were operating normally, he added.
Delta Air Lines posted a statement on Twitter which read: “We requested rescreening of some cargo on flt 70 in Mumbai. Paxs deplaned safely & we are working with authorities.”
Passengers were asked to remain at the airport until all luggage and cargo searches were complete, said Rohit Sharma, who was outside the airport waiting for a relative who was on the flight.
Two package bombs sent via air freight from Yemen to the United States were found in Britain and the United Arab Emirates last week. One was defused just 17 minutes before it was set to detonate, according to the French interior minister.
Agencies