Passengers aboard Air
France flight No 463 headed from Mauritius to France were Sunday morning forced
to cut short their trip after a device suspected to be an explosive was
discovered in one of the plane’s toilets.
After the discovery the
pilot made an emergency landing at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa.
Bomb experts from the
Kenya Navy were called and immediately removed the device to safety outside the
airport.
The Boeing 777 plane
with 473 passengers on board was diverted to Mombasa at around 3am and
immediately cleared to land.
All the 473 passengers
were screened at the airport lounge and taken to safety in hotels where they
were also receiving care and counseling.
The Kenyan security
officials were said to be zeroing in on two passengers who appeared suspicious.
At the same time, bomb
experts were conducting a major search inside the plane.
The Mombasa security
team and airport security in Mombasa also secured the airport and all critical
facilities around.