Aeroflot plane lands in Iceland after bomb threat

August 16, 2012 05:06 pm | Updated 05:06 pm IST - REYKJAVIK, Iceland

An Aeroflot plane carrying 256 people from New York to Moscow made an unscheduled landing in Iceland on Thursday following a report of a bomb on board, authorities said.

The plane, an Airbus A330, landed at Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport where baggage and passengers were being inspected as part of the search for explosives.

Russia’s ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Aeroflot spokeswoman Irina Dannenberg as saying the bomb warning came from an anonymous caller to New York City police after the plane took off.

Iris Marelsdottir of Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency said all the passengers were safe and being taken care of by the Red Cross in Reykjavţk, the capital.

“The search for explosives is under way in accordance with aviation security procedures and plans,” Iris Marelsdottir said. “They haven’t found any explosives, and I don’t know long the search will go on.”

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