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Air France flight makes emergency landing in Kenya over bomb scare Fake bomb forces Air France flight to make emergency landing in Kenya
(about 1 hour later)
Authorities in Kenya are examining a suspect package that forced an Air France flight from Mauritius to Paris to make an emergency landing in Kenya. An emergency landing of an Air France flight from Mauritius to Paris in Kenya was caused by a false bomb alert, the airline's chief says.
The pilots of the Boeing 777 requested to land at Moi International Airport in Mombasa after the suspect item was found in a toilet. Frederic Gagey told a news conference that the suspected package turned out to have been made of paper and a timer.
Both the aircraft and airport were safely evacuated while the item was removed from the plane. The pilots of the Boeing 777 requested to land at Moi International Airport in Mombasa after the item was found in a toilet.
Authorities in Kenya said they were questioning several passengers. Both the aircraft and airport were safely evacuated.
"Bomb experts from the Navy and DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) have retrieved the device and are determining whether the components contained explosives," the government said in a statement. Mr Gagey told journalists that the device appeared to be made of a carton, sheets of paper and some sort of kitchen timer, and placed behind a mirror in a toilet.
A police official quoted by AP news agency said a passenger had noticed an object in the toilet that looked like "a stop watch mounted on a box". He said the device had had no explosives, it would not have been detected during pre-flight security checks in Mauritius, and passengers and crew had not been at risk.
The passenger reported it to the cabin crew who then informed the pilots, the official, who asked not to be named, said. He thanked the crew and the Kenyan authorities for the way they had handled the incident - the fourth such false alarm since the 13 November Paris attacks.
Joseph Nkaissery, cabinet secretary at Kenya's ministry of interior, said authorities from France and Mauritius were helping with the investigation. A police official quoted by AP news agency said a passenger had noticed an object in the toilet that looked like "a stopwatch mounted on a box".
"We are in touch with Mauritius to know how security screening of passengers was done," Mr Nkaissery said. "A few passengers are being interrogated," he added. Mr Gagey said the crew was alerted, and the pilots informed. The pilots decided to land at the nearest airport.
Flights have now resumed from Moi International Airport, Kenya's airport authority said. Joseph Nkaissery, cabinet secretary at Kenya's ministry of interior, said authorities from France and Mauritius had been helping with the investigation.
The plane was carrying 459 passengers and 14 crew members and had left Mauritius at 01:00 GMT, Mr Owino said. The plane was carrying 459 passengers and 14 crew members and had left Mauritius at 01:00 GMT.
It had been due to fly directly to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.It had been due to fly directly to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
One of those on board, Benoit Lucchini, said passengers were calm and were told by the crew that the plane was being diverted because of a technical problem.One of those on board, Benoit Lucchini, said passengers were calm and were told by the crew that the plane was being diverted because of a technical problem.
"The plane just went down, slowly, slowly, slowly, so we just realised probably, something was wrong," he said."The plane just went down, slowly, slowly, slowly, so we just realised probably, something was wrong," he said.
"But the personnel of Air France were just great, just wonderful. So they keep everybody calm and really quiet.""But the personnel of Air France were just great, just wonderful. So they keep everybody calm and really quiet."
France is still on high alert following bomb attacks and shootings in Paris last month that killed 130 people.France is still on high alert following bomb attacks and shootings in Paris last month that killed 130 people.
So-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attacks in response to France's military action in Syria.So-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attacks in response to France's military action in Syria.