Smoke alert diverts Mumbai to Dubai IndiGo flight to Rajkot; all passengers safe

The cause of the smoke indication is yet to be ascertained. The flight was operating from Dubai to Mumbai when the incident took place.

An IndiGo flight from Dubai to Mumbai was diverted to Rajkot International Airport on Monday after the cockpit received a smoke indication from the aircraft’s cargo hold, prompting the crew to declare an emergency, officials aware of the matter said.

Flight 6E-1452, an Airbus A321 carrying 185 passengers and crew, landed safely at Hirasar airport at 3.27 pm. All those on board were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported. (REUTERS/Representational)

Flight 6E-1452, an Airbus A321 carrying 185 passengers and crew, landed safely at Hirasar airport at 3.27 pm. All those on board were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.

Airport authorities declared an emergency at 2.45 pm after receiving information from the flight crew about suspected smoke in the cargo hold. Fire and rescue teams, along with other emergency services, were kept on standby before the aircraft landed.

“All 185 passengers, including two infants, and seven crew members are safe. The pilots detected smoke in the cargo area, following which the aircraft made an emergency landing at Rajkot. The aircraft has been taken for inspection,” said Rajkot collector and district magistrate Om Prakash.

The aircraft was taken for inspection after passengers disembarked. The cause of the smoke indication is yet to be ascertained. The flight was operating from Dubai to Mumbai when the incident took place.

An IndiGo spokesperson said Flight 6E-1452 was “diverted to Rajkot International Airport today as a precautionary measure due to a technical issue”.

“An inspection of the aircraft is currently underway before it is cleared to resume operations. An alternate aircraft is being arranged to complete the journey and in the meantime, we are assisting our customers...”