A bomb threat received through email triggered panic in five private schools of Delhi on Wednesday morning, prompting authorities to immediately evacuate the premises for a thorough check, officials said.
This was the third consecutive day that education institutes in the national capital were targeted with bomb threats, which, in the past two days, turned out to be hoaxes.
A call about the email threatening to blow up St Thomas School in Dwarka was received at 5.26 am by the fire control, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj got it at 6.30 am, Mother International in Hauz Khas at 8.12 am and Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar at 8.11 am, the fire services officer said.
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate also received a threatening email, a senior police officer said, adding the school was thoroughly checked and nothing suspicious has been found so far.
In a mail to the parents, the school authorities said, "Due to a potential bomb threat received this morning, and as advised by the police, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya will remain closed today. A Bomb Disposal Squad is conducting a full sanitisation of the premises." For St Thomas School, this was a second bomb threat in less than 24 hours.
In total, 10 bomb threat emails have been received by nine schools in the city.
Staff staying in these schools overnight were immediately taken to safety as a precautionary measure, as teams of Delhi Police, bomb disposal squad, dog squad and cyber experts rushed in for a thorough search.
Nothing suspicious has been found so far, the officer said.