Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Oct 7: A fresh wave of bomb threats triggered panic across Ahmedabad on Wednesday after multiple schools and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) office received emails threatening to blow up the premises.
Police, bomb detection squads, fire personnel and emergency teams rushed to the affected locations, while several schools sent students home as a precaution. No suspicious objects have been found so far during the searches.
At least 10 schools were targeted, with Zydus School among those specifically named in the threatening email. Other schools named in the message included Bodakdev School for Children in Satellite, SGVP School in Chharodi, Sant Kabir School, Asia School on Drive-in Road and HBK School in Memnagar.
The email warned that the schools would be blown up at 11.11 am and contained provocative messages. It also referred to prominent public venues and events, including Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, with November 21 mentioned, and the venue of singer Diljit Dosanjh's concert, with November 1 cited in the message.
Following the alert, police and emergency response teams were mobilised. Bomb squad personnel, fire brigade teams and 108 emergency ambulance services reached Zydus School as a precaution and began security checks.
Schools also took immediate steps to ensure the safety of students. Parents were asked to collect their children, leading to crowds outside school campuses as anxious families arrived. Several schools dismissed students early as a precaution.
Ahmedabad District Education Officer Rohit Chaudhary said schools had been directed to immediately inform their respective local police stations and follow safety protocols.
He said schools had also been instructed to evacuate students and hand them over to their parents in an orderly manner to prevent unnecessary panic among students, parents and staff.
The threat was not limited to schools. The AMC office also received an email warning that the civic headquarters would be blown up at 1.11 pm.
Following the alert, Ahmedabad Fire Brigade personnel, police and bomb squad teams reached the civic office and intensified security checks. The AMC security office ordered thorough screening of people entering the building, including checks of visitors' bags.
The latest threats have raised concerns as Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have witnessed similar email threats in recent weeks.
On September 10, threatening emails warned of bomb attacks targeting the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, Gandhinagar Court and schools in Ahmedabad. The message also carried a provocative slogan and warned of blasts at schools at 1.11 pm and at the court at 2.11 pm.
Following that threat, police and dog squads carried out extensive searches at the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. No suspicious object was found, and proceedings at the Assembly subsequently began on schedule.
With the latest threats again naming schools and prominent public places, security agencies have stepped up checks across the city. Investigators are examining the threatening emails and their source while security personnel maintain heightened vigilance at the affected locations.