Air India Express passenger's pistol goes off during weapons check at Varanasi airport, 2 staffers injured

A gun carried by an Air India Express passenger went off during a weapons check at Varanasi airport on Sunday, injuring two airport staffers.

The passenger, from Azamgarh, was travelling with his wife to Mumbai on Air India Express flight IX-1810. He had a pistol and a magazine with him and had declared the weapon before boarding.

The incident took place around 9:30 am while airport staff were checking the weapon and its documents, Varanasi Airport Director Puneet Gupta said. The passenger and airport staff were present during the verification when the gun went off.

Don't Miss: Air India Phuket-Delhi flight lost control for 4 secs before plunging 300 ft, reveal Airbus findings

The bullet first hit the ground and then struck two AAICLAS screeners standing nearby. A woman staffer suffered a gunshot injury to her thigh, while a male staffer was injured in the hand.

Both were taken to New Laxmi Trauma Centre for treatment. Gupta said they were in stable condition.

"Today at about 0930 hrs, a passenger travelling with his wife on flight IX-1810 to Mumbai declared weapons on board the flight. During the weapons check, the passenger fired a round, injuring two AAICLAS screeners," Gupta said, according to news agency ANI.

"Both were taken to New Laxmi Trauma Centre for treatment. Local police have been informed, and an investigation is underway," he added.

Must Read: From ₹55 crore to ₹158.66 crore: How N Chandrasekaran's salary increased in a decade