Bomb scare at nearly 100 schools in India's Delhi; officials call it hoax

IN a major development, nearly 100 schools in Delhi and India's National Capital Region sent students home early after receiving a bomb threat over an email. Police personnel were on the school sites conducting thorough search operations but did not find anything suspicious.

The incident happened in the middle of India's national elections.

Speaking with Indian broadcaster NDTV, a spokesperson for Delhi Police said they were taking appropriate measures at the schools that received the threats. The police also advised the parents not to panic since nothing suspicious had been found.

Another police officer called it a mischief and that the mail was sent to several schools to create panic.

VK Saxena, the lieutenant governor of Delhi, said the police succeeded in tracing the origin of the hoax bomb mails. Saxena, who went to a school which also received the threat, assured the citizens of Delhi that the police will take strict action in the matter.

The Indian home ministry also said that the threats appeared to be a hoax and added that there was no reason to panic.

"It appears to be a hoax call. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol," the government said in a statement.

Some of the schools that received the mails early on Wednesday (1) morning were Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri, Mother Mary School at Mayur Vihar in east Delhi and Delhi Public School at Dwarka. Several more schools also received similar mails during the day, claiming that there are explosives on the campus.

One of the schools was having examination and it was stopped midway as search operations started. The school announced an emergency and asked everyone to evacuate the premises immediately.

The schools sent the students back home. Visuals from the schools showed parents rushing to the schools to take their children. Some schools that did not receive a threat also decided to send their students home early as a precaution.

Life was disrupted in the capital as long queues of vehicles were seen on key roads and highways connecting Delhi with adjoining cities such as Gurugram and Noida, resulting in chaos.

Bomb detection and disposal squads and officials of Delhi Fire Service were at the schools.

Delhi education minister Atishi, confirmed the development to say that nothing suspicious was found in any of the schools.

"Some schools have received bomb threats today morning. Students have been evacuated and those premises are being searched by Delhi Police. So far nothing has been found in any of the schools. We are in constant touch with the Police and the schools. Would request parents and citizens not to panic. School authorities will be in touch with parents wherever needed," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

In February, a similar threat was received at Delhi Police School in RK Puram in Delhi which had turned out to be a hoax.

In December last year, several schools in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru had received a similar threat which saw the police launching a huge search operation and the threat there was also found to be false.