False bomb threat forces EgyptAir flight to make emergency landing in Uzbekistan- sources

Sources say, no explosives were found on the plane which was carrying 118 passengers

CAIRO: An EgyptAir flight to China was forced to make an emergency landing in Uzbekistan on Wednesday after the airline received a call claiming that there was a bomb on board, two Egyptian aviation officials said.

They said the plane, which was carrying 118 passengers, had been evacuated and searched. No explosives were found, they said.



"The plane is preparing to resume its journey. It was a hoax, thank God," said one of the officials.

EgyptAir has received a number of bomb threats since one of its aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean on May 19. All have turned out to be hoaxes.

On May 19, an EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo crashed into the Mediterranean with 66 people on board, prompting an investigation into whether it was mechanical failure or a bomb.



There were no immediate reports of the discovery of any debris in the area of sea between the Greek islands and the Egyptian coast where the plane vanished from radar screens.

But French President Francois Hollande confirmed that the plane had “crashed” and the Paris prosecutor’s office said its accident department had opened an investigation.