Panic in Delhi after 40 schools receive bomb threats

PANIC and fear gripped parents across Delhi on Monday morning after 40 schools reportedly received bomb threats via email, prompting immediate evacuations and emergency responses.

As the alarming news spread, parents rushed to the schools, their faces etched with anxiety, to ensure the safety of their children.

Vipin Bhatra, a parent, shared his distress, and said "I rushed to the school as soon as I received the message about the bomb threat. If situations like this persist, how can we send our children to school with peace of mind?"

Another parent, Anuradha echoed similar fears saying that she took her child home but she is still tense.

Education is important but incidents like these are terrifying to all parents. Schools should be safe, not a place of constant threats, she said.

Scenes of chaos were witnessed at several schools as parents anxious parents led their children away from the school premises.

Meanwhile, teachers and staff managed the crisis by gathering students to safe locations before coordinating their dispersal once parents arrived.

Akanksha Soni, a parent, expressed concerns about the long-term impact of such incidents on children.

"These threats don't just disrupt the day they plant fear in the minds of our children. How will they focus on their studies when safety feels uncertain?," Soni said.

The threat was sent in a single e-mail marked to the city's prominent schools including DPS RK Puram; GD Goenka, Paschim Vihar; The British School, Chanakyapuri; The Mother's International, Aurobindo Marg; Modern School, Mandi House; DPS Vasant Kunj; Delhi Police Public School, Safdarjung; DPS East of Kailash and Salwan Public Schools.

Principal of GD Goenka Paschim Vihar Inderjit Kaur Batra said, "We informed parents immediately and evacuated the school promptly to ensure everyone's safety."

Emergency teams, including bomb squads, police and fire officials, combed through the premises. Authorities later confirmed that no suspicious items were found.

Sources said the email was delivered on the schools' id at 11.38 pm on Sunday -- when the schools were closed -- from scottielanza@gmail.com.

"I planted multiple bombs inside the building. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause very much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate," the email read.

It also said, "You all deserve to suffer and lose limbs. If I do not receive 30,000 dollar. The group =E2=80=9CKNR=E2=80=9D is behind this attack," it read.

A similar wave of threats had been reported in May, targeting schools, hospitals, and government facilities. (PTI)