Major Fire At Mumbai Airport Prevented: Inflammable Bag Sparks Chaos, Five Arrested

A significant disaster was narrowly avoided at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai when a bag containing an inflammable chemical caught fire just before it was due to be loaded onto a flight. The incident occurred on Friday and led to the swift arrest of five individuals connected to the case.

The bag in question was being transported to Terminal 2, where it was to be loaded onto Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET641 bound for Addis Ababa.

Photo Credit: PTI

The aircraft was carrying nearly 200 passengers when, around 10:30 am, airport staff noticed smoke emanating from one of the bags. The bag quickly caught fire, sparking panic among the airport staff and passengers. However, the airport's fire and safety teams responded promptly, extinguishing the fire before it could spread further.

The individual responsible for carrying the bag, identified as Samir Narayanchandra Bishwas, a 31-year-old resident of Nadiyal in West Bengal, was immediately detained by the Sahar police. During questioning, Bishwas revealed that the bag had been handed to him by one Nandan Dinesh Yadav, who had instructed him to deliver it to Naveen Sharma, a person believed to be in Congo.

This information led to the arrest of Yadav, along with three others: Suresh Subba Singh (46), Vishwanath Balasubramaniam Senjundhar (37), and Akhilesh Gajraj Yadav (37), all of whom were employees of a logistics company involved in the incident.

The bag contained 10 kilograms of inflammable material, with half in liquid form and the remainder as powder. The contents have been sent to a forensic laboratory to determine their exact composition.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident, focusing on the intended purpose of transporting such hazardous material on a commercial flight. Bishwas and the other suspects have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act.

Ethiopian Airlines, in a statement about the incident, confirmed that the fire occurred in a baggage container in the ramp area while it was being transported to the aircraft.

"The airport safety, security, and fire teams responded immediately and put out the fire with all necessary safety procedures. The affected container and baggage are under investigation by the authorities at Mumbai airport," the statement read.

The flight was eventually dispatched after all safety protocols were thoroughly observed, ensuring that no harm came to the passengers or crew on board.