Howrah-bound train from Mumbai receives bomb threat, cleared after checking

A message was received at the Railways' Mumbai control room about a bomb being planted in the Mumbai-Howrah Mail, following which the train was stopped at a station, and checks were conducted.

In Short

• Mumbai-Howrah Mail halted at Jalgaon over bomb threat
• Train cleared for onward journey after no suspicious items were found
• Search was conducted after Railways' Mumbai control room received threat

A Howrah-bound train from Mumbai was briefly stopped at Maharashtra's Jalgaon station on Monday following a bomb threat.

According to railway officials, a message was received at Mumbai control at around 4 am about a bomb being planted in train number 12809, Mumbai-Howrah Mail. Subsequently, the train was stopped at Jalgaon station and checks were conducted.

However, no suspicious items were found, and the train was cleared for the onward journey to Howrah.

"Mumbai-Howrah Mail received a threat to blow up the train with a timer bomb. Around 4 am, off-control received this message. Train number 12809 was stopped at Jalgaon station and checked. No suspicious object was found in it. After this, the train proceeded towards the destination," the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Central Railways said while speaking to news agency ANI.

The incident came at a time when several flights also received bomb threats today.

Two IndiGo flights departing from Mumbai received bomb threats, prompting swift responses from authorities. According to an IndiGo spokesperson, flight 6E 1275, going to Muscat, and flight 6E 56, headed for Jeddah, received the threats.

Following established safety protocols, both aircraft were immediately moved to isolated bays.

"As per protocol, the aircraft were taken to isolated bays, and following the standard operating procedure, mandatory security checks were promptly initiated," said the IndiGo spokesperson.

Prior to this, Air India's New York-bound flight carrying 239 passengers from Mumbai was diverted to Delhi airport following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat in the aircraft, officials said.

Air India issued a statement saying, "Flight AI119 operating Mumbai to JFK on October 14 received a specific security alert and on instructions of the government's security regulatory committee was diverted to Delhi".

"All passengers have disembarked and are at the Delhi airport terminal. Our colleagues on the ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption," it added.