Mumbai Airport's Terminal 2 Partially Evacuated After Bomb Threat Call, Security Beefed Up Across Country

Mumbai: A part of Terminal 2 of the Mumbai international airport was evacuated on Saturday after authorities received what they said was a "non-specific" bomb threat call at around 11 am.

A Mumbai airport official said security teams were carrying out searches in the premises.

"Mumbai airport authorities received a call around 11 am which threatened that a bomb explosion would take place at the international terminal in the next 12 hours. Following this, offices of various airlines, and pre-departure and arrival areas were evacuated," the official said.

He said the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened to assess the "threat call".

As a mitigation measure, the committee decided to evacuate departure, pre-security hold area and 'meeters and greeters' area of Terminal 2, he added.

Operations at the Mumbai airport are already shut due to ongoing runway maintenance and repairing work, which commenced on February 7.

Both runways of the airport do not function from 11 am to 5 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as part of the work which is scheduled till March 30.

Meanwhile, the government issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued the alert and marked it to senior police officials of all states, in-charges of security at all airlines and airports, and officers of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

"In view of the intelligence input in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments, it is imperative to enhance the existing security measures being taken at all the civil aviation installations like airports, airstrips, airfields, air force stations, helipads, flying schools, aviation training institutes etc. so that no untoward incident takes place," the alert notification read.

The security measures include "strict access control to regulate entry into terminal building, airside, all operational area and other aviation facilities".