Crude bomb found on Kingfisher's Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram flight

Kingfisher ATR aircraft.

Security agencies were on the alert after a crude low-intensity explosive device was found in the cargo area at the rear of a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft that landed this morning in Thiruvananthapuram on a flight from Bangalore.

The explosive was found wrapped in a newspaper by the staff of the airline who were cleaning and readying the aircraft for its onward flight.

City Police Commissioner Ajith Kumar told NetIndian over the telephone from Thiruvananthapuram that the police had found abut 15-20 grammes of the explosive, of the kind that is used in firecrackers.

"But it is an explosive, and it was clearly a breach of security," he said. Investigations were now on to find out how the device was brought into the aircraft.

Mr Ajith Kumar said security personnel had completed their search of the aircraft and had cleared it for its onward journey.

The flight had arrived at 0825 hours this morning from Bangalore. After a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official noticed the package, the aircraft was moved to a remote area of the aircraft before personnel of the bomb disposal squad were called in to check the device.

"Shortly after Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 4731 landed in Thiruvananthapuram and after all 27 guests on board had deplaned, a routine security check was being carried out. During this security check, an unclaimed package was found," Kingfisher Airline said in a statement.

"The matter was immediately reported to the authorities, who have removed the package from the aircraft and, as a precautionary measure, the aircraft is being checked by the security agencies," it added.

Meanwhile, airport and security officials in Bangalore have also launched an investigation to ascertain how the package could have been put on the aircraft.

In Delhi, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is learnt to have ordered an inquiry into the entire episode.

Security agencies in Thiruvananthapuram are understood to be checking out all the passengers who travelled by the flight from Bangalore as part of their investigations.

In Delhi, Mr U K Bansal, Special Secretary (Internal Security), told television channels that investigations were going on to ascertain where the lapse had occurred.

He said the package could have been placed abroad the aircraft either during loading of baggage at Bangalore or during the unloading operations at Thiruvananthapuram. "These are the only two possibilities," he said.

He was confident that the Kerala Police would be able to put its finger on where the breach had occurred soon.

Mr Bansal said th incident was a serious security lapse, though the explosive device did not have a detonator or a timer. "Nevertheless, it is an explosive and a very serious matter," he said.

He said the Government would look at the security procedures at the airport to identify loopholes, if any, and especially at the checks conducted before employees are appointed at the airport by various agencies. He said it was too early to point the finger at any category of employees and it was important that all agencies worked together to improve security.

NNN