MUMBAI: In a major security breach at Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Friday morning, a passenger’s bag caught fire while being loaded onto an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa at Terminal T2.

The police are now investigating why the bag containing the flammable chemicals was not examined by security personnel. The bag caught fire on the apron while being transported from the baggage area to the aircraft.

Sahar police took up the case and arrested five people, including the bag’s owner, 32-year-old Sameer Biswas, who claimed that the liquid hydrogen peroxide and titanium dioxide powder contained in the bag were for soap making.

“The passenger is from West Bengal and was on his way to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 641. He was immediately thrown off the plane,” said a police officer. “We have arrested four other people who Biswas claimed had handed over the chemicals to him.”

A statement from Ethiopian Airlines said: “The aircraft was handled in accordance with standard safety procedures as there was no incident on the aircraft itself. We will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.”