ALERT: Australia- Bomb Scare Evacuates Flight (June 6, 2017)

June 6, 2017

A domestic flight in Australia was evacuated, today, due to a bomb hoax.

The BBC reports:

A Virgin Australia plane has been evacuated after a threatening note was found on a domestic flight from Sydney to Albury, police have said. Passengers were forced out an emergency exit window of the 68-seat plane after it landed safely in Albury on Tuesday. A male passenger, 30, was arrested and charged over a “document threatening death or grievous bodily harm”. Police did not disclose the alleged details of the note, found in a toilet, but said it was not terror-related. A Virgin Australia spokesman said flight VA1174 arrived safely at Albury airport and was met by police.

According to The Australian:

The arrested passenger was said to be calm throughout the flight. He read a novel and went to the bathroom once.

Local police congratulated cabin crew and passengers for the swift evacuation. “The plane landed at 9.35am and within five minutes we had the plane and the occupants secure and safe,” Albury commander Superintendent Evan Quarmby told reporters. “All of the occupants of the aeroplane were evacuated safely, very efficiently and should all be congratulated on the assistance they’ve given to police this morning.”

It was initially reported the doors of the plane were “ripped off” by authorities but Virgin later clarified they were opened from the inside, likely by cabin crew. Passengers were told to leave their luggage and jump about 1.2 metres from the exits onto the tarmac.

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