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Fake bomb forces Air France flight to make Kenya emergency landing Fake bomb forces Air France flight to make Kenya emergency landing
(35 minutes later)
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. An Air France passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Kenya after a fake bomb was found in a toilet, the airline says.
Frederic Gagey said the suspect item was made of paper and a timer. The Boeing 777, on its way from Mauritius to Paris, was evacuated at Mombasa airport and the suspicious device taken away for examination.
The Boeing 777 landed at Moi International Airport in Mombasa. The aircraft and airport were evacuated. Air France chief Frederic Gagey later said it was made of a cardboard box, paper and a timer.
Mr Gagey said this was not a "bad joke", but an "extremely aggressive act" - the fourth false alarm since the deadly 13 November attacks in Paris. He described it as an "extremely aggressive act".
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. The plane, carrying 459 passengers and 14 crew, had left Mauritius at 01:00 GMT and had been due to fly directly to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
He said the device contained no explosives, so it would not have been detected during pre-flight security checks in Mauritius, and passengers and crew had not been at risk. Several passengers from the flight have been questioned by Kenyan police.
He thanked the crew and the Kenyan authorities for the way they had handled the incident. Mr Gagey told a news conference that the airline would press charges against those responsible and an inquiry would be held.
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". But he denied there had been any problem with security checks in Mauritius, saying the device contained no explosives, so would not have been detected.
Mr Gagey said the crew was alerted, and the pilots informed. The pilots decided to land at the nearest airport. He said the device appeared to be made of a cardboard, sheets of paper and some kind of kitchen timer, and had been placed in a cupboard behind a mirror in the toilet.
Mr Gagey said he did not know exactly when it had been placed there, but that the cupboard had been checked before the flight so it was assumed that it was put there during the flight.
He said the object was made of material not usually found on the plane.
Mr Gagey thanked the crew and the Kenyan authorities for the way they had handled the incident.
Earlier, 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".
Mr Gagey said the crew was alerted, and the pilots decided to land at the nearest airport. Both the aircraft and Moi International Airport in Mombasa were evacuated while the device was removed.
Joseph Nkaissery, cabinet secretary at Kenya's ministry of interior, said authorities from France and Mauritius had been helping with the investigation.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. One of those on board the aircraft, Benoit Lucchini, said passengers were calm and were told by the crew that the plane was being diverted because of a technical problem.
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.
"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.France is still on high alert following bomb attacks and shootings in Paris.
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.