LAHORE, Feb 10: Panic gripped Lahore airport when a bomb hoax was reported in the PK-305 flight, when around 400 passengers had started checking in, to leave for Karachi around 5pm.

Some passengers boarded the Jumbo-747 were reportedly off-loaded and the Airport Security Force, the bomb disposal squad and the Civil Defence thoroughly checked the aircraft and cleared it.

The flight left for Karachi at 8:50pm after a delay of three hours and 50 minutes.

When contacted, the ASF officials said they had received a call that there was a bomb in the PK-305 aircraft. They said some passengers were off-loaded and the Jumbo was searched thoroughly.

SP Cantt Dr Usman said a woman had made five calls from a cell phone and a land line number to the ASF, the airport inquiry and the police emergency (15) between 4:45pm to 6:45pm.

He said both cell and land line numbers had been traced and the police were raiding to locate the woman for investigation.