Drunken passenger's bomb hoax lands plane in Bulgaria
Drunken passenger's bomb hoax lands plane in Bulgaria
A Polish airliner flying to Egypt was forced to make an emergency landing in Bulgaria on Thursday after a drunk Polish passenger claimed there was a bomb on the plane.
2 min read
Security services are currently on extra high alert [AFP/Getty]
A Polish airliner flying from Warsaw to Egypt was forced to make an emergency landing in Bulgaria on Thursday after a bomb alert caused by a "drunken Pole talking rubbish", Bulgaria's premier said.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, told public broadcaster BNR that the bomb warning by one of the 161 passengers on the flight, headed for the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, was "completely false."
He added that "at the very least it was a useful exercise" for Burgas airport where the plane landed early on Thursday.
All passengers had to be evacuated from the Small Planet aircraft after it touched down at 5:45am (0345 GMT) and police conducted a search, finding nothing suspect.
Burgas district prosecutor Kalina Chapkanova said that the 67-year-old Polish passenger who claimed the bomb was on the plane had been questioned by the police and has admitted to drinking alcohol.
Passenger Agata Pinuszewska told Polish TVN24 by phone that armed Bulgarian officers burst into the plane at Burgas airport, shouting at the man: "Where is the bomb?" He was then led out and the other passengers were asked to leave the plane.
He reportedly claimed his bomb hoax was "a joke" - but officials failed to find any humour during a period of particularly heightened security tensions.
The hoaxer could face up to 15 years in jail, said prosecutors.
Security services are currently on extra high alert after Friday's terror attacks in Paris and the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt on 31 October with 224 people on board, which Moscow said on Tuesday was caused by a bomb.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, told public broadcaster BNR that the bomb warning by one of the 161 passengers on the flight, headed for the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, was "completely false."
He added that "at the very least it was a useful exercise" for Burgas airport where the plane landed early on Thursday.
All passengers had to be evacuated from the Small Planet aircraft after it touched down at 5:45am (0345 GMT) and police conducted a search, finding nothing suspect.
Burgas district prosecutor Kalina Chapkanova said that the 67-year-old Polish passenger who claimed the bomb was on the plane had been questioned by the police and has admitted to drinking alcohol.
Passenger Agata Pinuszewska told Polish TVN24 by phone that armed Bulgarian officers burst into the plane at Burgas airport, shouting at the man: "Where is the bomb?" He was then led out and the other passengers were asked to leave the plane.
He reportedly claimed his bomb hoax was "a joke" - but officials failed to find any humour during a period of particularly heightened security tensions.
The hoaxer could face up to 15 years in jail, said prosecutors.
Security services are currently on extra high alert after Friday's terror attacks in Paris and the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt on 31 October with 224 people on board, which Moscow said on Tuesday was caused by a bomb.
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