It was around 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday. There were hardly any flights at the time, and the few passengers at Visakhapatnam International Airport were moving around the lounge in a relaxed manner.
At 11.59 a.m., the CISF Control Room at the airport received an anonymous call saying that a bomb was planted at the airport.
The man on duty tried to elicit as much information as possible from the caller. But the caller was smart. Refusing to reveal any details on the number of bombs planted, their location or the exact location, he said it was enough for the receiver to know that a bomb was planted inside the terminal building and it could explode anytime.
The caller simply identified himself as a representative of an extremist outfit, without giving its name.
The CISF personnel immediately alerted CISF Assistant Commandant A.K. Mitra on the phone and he asked them to get the message as it is.
Mr. Mitra, Naval Officer Dasaradh, and Bomb Disposal Squad Officer (City Police) Ibrahim discussed the matter and quickly concluded that it was a ‘specific’ message that posed a potential threat to the lives of passengers. They issued instructions to their men.
A flurry of activity was witnessed at the airport as young men in olive green uniform, some in safari suit and others in khaki were seen moving hurriedly all around the passenger areas and ticketing counters of various airlines.
Sniffer dogs were taken around the premises. The police quickly cordoned off some of the counters as some of the passengers looked anxiously at the goings on. The anxiety on their faces turned to one of relief as a soft voice announced on the mike that a mock drill was being organised by the Navy, the CISF, and the police, and there was no cause for alarm.
“Passengers should not leave behind their luggage in their anxiety to run out of the building. They should carry their own luggage to the extent possible as unattended luggage during such a situation can add to the panic,” Mr. Ibrahim said.
“Our dog has sensed it right at the beginning of the search that a bomb was planted. Once that was done, bomb disposal experts conduct further checks to detect the nature of the explosive wearing protective gear and attaching wired equipment to study the characteristics of the bomb through a remote monitor.”
The drill was conducted as part of the ongoing Explosive Ordinance Disposal Camp, a joint training programme, being conducted by the Navy, the police, and the CISF from April 6 to 10.
Members of the Naval Command Clearance Diving Team, Bomb Disposal Squad teams from Visakhapatnam city and Visakhapatnam rural police, CISF, and the Intelligence Security Wing (ISW) are participating in the programme.
Airport witnesses flurry of activity as the Navy, the CISF, and the police organise mock drill
