Domestic flights have resumed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu after a hoax bomb threat call allegedly from Pakistan created panic, forcing authorities to vacate the premises. As per the Nepal airport officials, two calls were made to the Terminal Duty Office (TDO) warning about a possible bomb blast inside the terminal within two hours of the first call. “TDO was called for the first time at 9:40 AM (local time) followed by another call from an international number.
The same person made the second call claiming 6-7 bombs has been implanted inside the domestic terminal that would explode within two hours which prompted us to inform airport authorities, security forces and a thorough search of all the areas of the terminal was done by the bomb disposal team,” Tek Nath Sitaula, Spokesperson at Tribhuwan International Airport told reporters.
“All the areas were searched and looked into but nothing was found and since 11:10 AM (local time) we have operationalized the airport,” Sitaula added. As per the official, the caller started the conversation by saying “Salam Walekum” and spoke in Nepali warning the authorities. The suspect has been identified to be a male.
The official informed said that the phone call was made from Pakistan. Authorities closed the airport and launched a search operation this morning after an unidentified man claimed over the telephone that a bomb had been planted. Nepal airport authorities had earlier evacuated the Tribhuvan International Airport after a phone call claiming a suspicious object planted inside the terminal was received. They have launched an investigation into the issue.