Varanasi: Two security screeners sustained injuries on Sunday morning after a licensed firearm belonging to a Mumbai-bound passenger accidentally discharged during a mandatory weapons check at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. in the security screening area, briefly triggering panic among travellers and staff within the terminal building.
The passenger, identified as 55-year-old Kamlesh Rai, a resident of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, had arrived at the airport accompanied by his wife to board Air India Express flight IX-1810. In accordance with aviation regulations, Rai had officially declared the licensed pistol and ammunition for authorized carriage on the flight. The firearm went off during the routine physical verification and counting of the ammunition carried out by screening personnel.
According to airport officials and local police, the bullet initially struck the floor, and the resulting ricochet and fragments struck two employees of the Airport Authority of India Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited (AAICLAS) stationed nearby. A female screener suffered a gunshot injury to her thigh, while a male employee sustained an injury to his hand. Both victims were promptly moved to the nearby New Laxmi Trauma Centre for immediate medical care, where their condition was reported to be stable.
Senior police officials from the Gomti Zone and the local Phoolpur police station reached the airport shortly after the discharge to examine the site and review the verification protocol. Authorities confirmed that the passenger held a valid weapon licence, and a comprehensive investigation has been initiated to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to the accidental firing.
