Bomb threat emails spark panic at 28 schools in India

At least 28 schools in Ahmedabad and Vadodara, Gujarat, received bomb threat emails on February 16, prompting immediate evacuations and large-scale police search operations, officials confirmed.

More than 15 schools in Ahmedabad were targeted, District Education Officer Rohit Chaudhary said, The Hindu reports.

“All the schools were instructed to immediately inform the nearby police stations and follow the prescribed security protocol,” he added. 

In Vadodara, Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar reported that 13 schools across various localities received similar emails. “Following alerts from school managements to the police control room, teams from the local police, Special Operations Group (SOG), Crime Branch, and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) were deployed,” he said.

“Sanitisation of nine schools has been completed, while the process is underway in the remaining institutions. A case has been registered by the cybercrime police. A detailed investigation will be carried out to trace the source of the emails and identify the sender,” Komar added. He noted that, prima facie, the emails appeared mischievous in nature, but authorities are treating the situation with utmost seriousness.

Vadodara Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Verma said no suspicious objects had been found so far, and students from the affected schools were sent home as a precaution.

Among the institutions targeted were DAV International School, Asia School, Ankur International School, and Sant Kabir School in Ahmedabad, and D.R. Amin School, Urmi School, Baroda High School, and Don Bosco in Vadodara, police reported.

This incident comes shortly after similar bomb threat emails were sent to several schools in Ahmedabad on January 23, which were later determined to be hoaxes.

By Vafa Guliyeva