- A licensed pistol of a passenger at the Varanasi airport went off during security screening
- The incident occurred while inspecting weapon and ammunition of passenger traveling to Mumbai
- A female security staff was hit on leg, and another person was injured on thumb
Two security staff personnel were injured after the licensed pistol of a passenger went off during screening at the airport in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi this morning, officials said.
The passenger, identified as Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, was travelling with his wife to Mumbai on Air India Express flight IX1810 from Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport.
The accidental firing occurred when his weapon, a 7.62 mm pistol with 21 live cartridges, was being inspected during the security checking, the officials said.
"The passenger was escorted to the designated screening area for completion of the mandatory security formalities. During the handling and inspection of the weapon, a round was accidentally discharged. The projectile ricocheted and caused injuries to two screening personnel, Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.
Both personnel were immediately provided assistance and shifted to a private hospital.
The local police were informed immediately, and Rai has been detained, the statement said.
The aviation safety body, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), is probing the incident, including "adherence to the prescribed procedures for handling and carriage of licensed weapons at airports", the ministry said.
Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings, it said, adding that the incident was "promptly contained", and airport operations are continuing without disruption.
The police said the female security staff member was hit on the leg, while another personnel standing nearby was hit on the thumb.
"Upon receiving information about the incident, senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Gomti Zone) and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Pindra), arrived at the scene. The site is being inspected, and necessary details are being gathered. Appropriate legal action is being taken in the matter," senior police officer Neetu Kadyan said on X.
थाना फूलपुर क्षेत्रांतर्गत लाल बहादुर शास्त्री अंतरराष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डे पर यात्री की लाइसेंसी पिस्टल से चेकिंग के दौरान आकस्मिक फायरिंग की घटना के संबंध में श्रीमती नीतू कदयान, पुलिस उपायुक्त गोमती ज़ोन, कमिश्नरेट वाराणसी की बाइट।#Uppolice #VaranasiPolice pic.twitter.com/fJjIJSWEJk
— DCP Gomti Zone VNS (@DcpGomti) August 16, 2026
The airport also issued a statement on the incident.
"Today, 16.08.2026, 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. Both were taken to New Laxmi Trauma Centre for treatment," the airport said.
Tracking data on FlightRadar24 showed the flight IX1810 departed 14 minutes after its scheduled time.
"He Said It's Unloaded And Fired": Injured Security Staff
The injured screener, Suman Kumari, said the passenger told them that the weapon was unloaded and "pressed the trigger to show us".
"The shot was fired while he was showing it to us. The bullet hit me in both legs, including the thigh," she told the news agency PTI.
The injured cargo screener, Rohit Raj, also backed her statement.
"The passenger first removed the magazine and checked it. It was loaded," he said.
VIDEO | Varanasi: Injured cargo screener Rohit Raj, recalling the accidental firing of a passenger's pistol during screening at Varanasi airport, says, "The passenger first removed the magazine and checked it. It was loaded. He then pressed the trigger downwards and the weapon… pic.twitter.com/wmJiGRNKjt
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 16, 2026
"He then pressed the trigger downwards, and the weapon fired. I sustained an injury near the last finger of my left hand, and there is some swelling," Raj added.
Are Firearms Allowed On Flights?
A firearm on a flight can be legally transported after it is completely unloaded and packed inside a locked, hard-sided container.
It should also be explicitly declared at the airline check-in counter along with valid licences and separate ammunition storage.
A passenger can carry one licensed revolver, pistol or shotgun and fifty cartridges in registered baggage.
On domestic flights, a flyer has to pay a handling charge of about Rs 5,000, excluding taxes, per firearm and 50 cartridges. It is around $100 for international flights.
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