"Bomb" mocks staff and passengers at MIA

"Bomb" mocks staff and passengers at MIA

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 20, 2014: The main terminal building of Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) at Kenjar here was ’evacuated’  for near an hour November 19, Wednesday following a "bomb threat"  received by Air India staff at the airport. The threat call received by Air India staff was passed on to bomb threat assessment cell which met at airport director J T Radhakrishna’s chamber and a decision was taken to evacuate the terminal building as per stipulated regulations.

 

Few were aware this was triggered for a mock exercise to study a nd develop preparedness of various stakeholders to a real threat, customs and immigration too and the entire terminals building was invoilved. Sniffer dogs of AAI, Central Industrial Security Force and Mangaluru City Police were also pressed into action to detect the ’bomb’.

The bomb detection and disposal squad of Karnataka State Police too arrived from the city, some 14-kms from the airport in 30-minutes to investigate and dispose the dummy bomb. The terminal building was completely evacuated in seven minutes. The object was detected and cordoned off with sand bags placed around it. The exercise was completed at 4.15pm, 45 minutes after the security cell received information of a ’bomb’ in the terminal.

Radhakrishna said the exercise was planned two-weeks ago. All station managers of the airlines, senior officials of AAI, Mangaluru City Police, fire personnel from AAI, CISF were part of the exercise.

Objective of the exercise is to test efficacy of contingency plans and procedures to deal with such threat and building evacuation and preparedness of airport, airlines, police and other agencies. Such an exercise was last held about a year ago.