Back
to Headlines
Delhi
airport on red alert
New Delhi: In
the wake of a terror plot foiled in the United Kingdom on
Thursday and with Independence Day nearing, security has been
tightened and a red alert has been sounded at the Indira Gandhi
International airport here. Emergency anti-hijacking measures
have also been put in place. A larger number of security personnel
have been deployed in plain clothes and Quick Reaction Team
(QRTs) have been activated at the airport. As part of increase
in surveillance measures Bomb Disposal Squads and sniffer
dogs have been pressed into service and surveillance was stepped
up at parking lots and ticket counters. In specific destination
flights, the cabin baggage is undergoing 100 per cent checking
manually and 50 per cent manually in normal flights. Entry
of visitors to the airport has been closed and the profiling
of passengers has been increased. Other major establishments
and airports across the country have been put on high alert
in view of the intelligence reports on the possibility of
terror attacks.
Terror
threat at UK's Heathrow airport
London:
British police and intelligence outfits foiled a bid to
blow passenger flights in mid-air on Thursday, but the scare
resulted in passengers being banned from carrying handbags
to the airports. The security checks and precautions caused
chaos at various airports. Scores flights to and from airports
in the UK were cancelled for security reasons. UK Home Secretary
John Reid reportedly said that the terrorist plot was designed
to "bring down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions,
causing a considerable loss of life". According to him, security
at all UK airports was increased and the country was put on
high alert. Shortly after the news was broken throughout the
world, the US government also raised its threat perceptions
to the highest level for commercial flights flying in from
the UK. According to the Daily Mail, passengers faced massive
delays as they arrived to check in this morning, and were
warned that they could not take any hand luggage on board
flights. Heathrow airport operator BAA is learnt to have directed
that all in-bound services not already in the air, be suspended,
and that most European flights be cancelled. Former Met Commissioner
Lord Stevens said that all passengers must be hand searched,
and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must
be X-ray screened. He said such drastic steps would not have
been taken unless there was an "absolute need". "You know
there is going to be a fair amount of disruption and chaos
and that is balanced against trying to keep things as normal
as possible. But they will not have done anything unless there
was an absolute need for it." Cancelling flights was "always
a possibility", he said and added that it was important not
to allow terrorists to succeed in their aim of disrupting
everyday life.
Back
to Headlines
Go
To Top