A passenger’s licensed pistol accidentally discharges during a weapons check at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, injuring two cargo screening staff. Multiple outlets report the shooting occurs during routine screening while the passenger is preparing to board a flight to Mumbai, with the bullet striking or passing near airport ground personnel before injuring the screeners.
The Varanasi airport authority statements cited by some outlets say two AAICLAS (AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services) screeners are hurt during the weapons check. Injuries are described differently across reports: one source says a staffer is hit on the leg and another on the thumb, while others describe a hand injury and a leg injury. Times of India also reports that one screener recalls the passenger claimed the gun was unloaded before firing.
Authorities—including the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security in some accounts—investigate how the firearm discharged despite being declared for air travel. Police also detain and question the passenger as the inquiry examines the sequence of events and whether screening procedures were followed correctly. The injured staff receive immediate medical treatment and are reported to be stable.