Delhi schools receive bomb threat emails: Students evacuated as security teams conduct searches

A Delhi Police Bomb Detection Team (BDT) vehicle arrives outside a school following a bomb threat email. Pic/PTI

Several schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails on Tuesday, prompting evacuation of students and extensive security checks, with bomb disposal teams and sniffer dog squads deployed at the affected premises, officials said.

The emails were received at 10.17 am, and one of them reportedly carried a subject line referring to an alleged blast at Delhi schools at 1.11 pm.

The messages, believed to have been written in Punjabi, contained threats of explosions at schools and also warned of attacks targeting police stations, police posts and court complexes in the national capital.

The email allegedly warned people against travelling by Delhi Metro or trains till September 29 and threatened explosions at several locations. It also mentioned several courts and threatened blasts in and around the court premises, a senior police officer said.

Following receipt of the emails, police and other security agencies launched searches at the affected schools. Bomb detection and disposal squads and sniffer dog teams were deployed to check classrooms, corridors, open areas and other parts of the premises for any suspicious object.

Several fire tenders and ambulances were also kept on standby as a precautionary measure, officials said.

According to the Delhi Fire Service, it received a call from one of the schools in the Dhaula Kuan area at 11.30 am, following which a fire tender was sent to the spot.

"The bomb threat was declared hoax following thorough checking at 1.05 pm," a DFS official said.

Police also received information regarding a bomb threat mail at another school. The premises and surrounding areas were searched and the threat was subsequently declared a hoax, officials said.

At yet another school, students were evacuated from the premises following the security alert. The school informed parents that police had been alerted and necessary security measures were being taken.

The school said middle school students had completed their examinations, while senior school students had finished most of their examinations. A decision on the remaining examinations would be taken after assessing the situation, it said.

Police personnel were deployed outside the affected schools to secure the premises and manage crowds of parents who gathered following the alerts.

No explosive or suspicious object was found during the searches, officials said.

Police are now examining the email accounts and digital trails to identify the sender and ascertain whether the threats were part of a coordinated attempt to create panic. Further investigation is underway.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.