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Passenger Gun Goes Off at Varanasi Airport: 2 Staff Members Shot
Two airport security staff were injured after a passenger's licensed gun accidentally fired during a security check at Varanasi Airport.
Two AAICLAS security screeners were injured after a passenger's licensed gun accidentally went off during a weapons check at Varanasi Airport on 16 August 2026.
AAICLAS screeners are airport security staff who check passengers, bags and luggage using X-ray machines, metal detectors and other screening equipment to keep airports and flights safe.
The passenger, from Azamgarh, was travelling to Mumbai on an Air India Express flight with his wife. He was carrying a licensed pistol and an ammunition magazine, which he had already declared to the airline as required.
At around 9:30 a.m., airport staff were checking his firearm and documents in the security hold area. According to staff member Suman Kumari, the passenger said the gun was unloaded. However, when he pointed it towards the ground and pressed the trigger, it accidentally fired.
The bullet first hit the ground and then injured two nearby AAICLAS screeners. Suman Kumari suffered injuries to both legs, while another screener, Rohit Raj, was injured near the little finger of his left hand.
Both injured staff members were taken to a nearby trauma centre for treatment and are reported to be stable and out of danger.
Airport Director Puneet Gupta said police were informed immediately and an investigation is underway. Officials reportedly found that the gun contained one live round, and the passenger claimed he did not know it was loaded. An FIR has been registered.
Licensed firearms are allowed on domestic flights in India, but they must be completely unloaded, kept in a locked hard-sided case and declared at the airline check-in counter with valid licence documents. Passengers can carry one licensed firearm and up to 50 cartridges in checked baggage under the prescribed rules.