Malaysia-London flight evacuated after hoax

Hundreds of passengers on a Malaysia Airlines flight to London were evacuated as the jetliner prepared to take off when a Vietnamese passenger claimed he had a bomb.

Authorities searched the plane and confirmed it was a hoax.

The flight was delayed for four hours yesterday at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after a passenger alerted crew members that a 25-year-old Vietnamese student seated beside him claimed he was carrying a bomb in his bag.

At least 289 passengers were evacuated while airport authorities searched all their luggage and detained the student for questioning.

A Malaysia Airlines official, said the student was apparently drunk, but the evacuation was necessary because ”the airline won’t compromise on passenger safety”. It was not immediately clear whether the student would be prosecuted.