Multiple Delhi schools evacuated after emailed bomb threats

A series of bomb threats across dozens of elite schools in the Indian capital region triggered evacuations of students, cancellation of classes, and panic among staff and parents.

More than 60 schools received an emailed threat of a bomb attack on Wednesday morning, Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said, but nothing suspicious has been found yet.

Top schools in and around Delhi, including Mother Mary School at Mayur Vihar, Amity International in Saket, and branches of Delhi Public School in Dwarka and Noida, received similar emails, claiming that there were explosives planted on the campuses.

The threats prompted an emergency situation in the schools with police dispatching bomb disposal squads, fire brigades and sniffer dogs to the schools to conduct a search operation.

Videos showed students queuing outside schools to return home as police officials and sniffer dogs took over the premises and conducted search operations.

School administration in all the schools cancelled classes as a precautionary measure.

"This is to inform you that the school has received an email that threatens the safety and security of the students. As a precautionary measure, we are sending the students back home immediately,” a message to parents from the Delhi Public School in Noida said.

The principal of the school, Kamini Bhasin, told ANI the mail stated that “bomb has been planted in some areas of the school and we can’t take chances as it is a matter of children’s lives”.

“The students were evacuated to an open area, police and parents were informed and all the students have been sent back,” she said.

Delhi police said in a statement: “During the initial investigation, it seems that since yesterday till now the mail has been sent to many places and it seems to be on the same pattern.”

“Date line is not mentioned and BCC is mentioned in the mail, which means one mail has been sent to many places. At present an investigation is being done,” it added.

“Amity Pushp Vihar and Saket also received bomb threats and have been evacuated on instructions from the police. The school has been closed for today till further instructions,” spokesperson, Amity Group, said.

Delhi minister of education, Atishi, said some schools have received bomb threats and 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,” she added.

Police said all the email sources originate from a single source appearing to be outside the country and suspect a VPN could have been used to mask the source of the email.

This is not the first time a threat has been issued in a Delhi school. However, it is the first time in recent memory that multiple schools have been simultaneously targeted with emails threatening bomb attacks.

In February this year, Delhi Police School in RK Puram in the capital received a bomb threat and a case was registered by Delhi police.

In May last year, the Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, was evacuated following a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax email.