Bengaluru schools get bomb threat on email; students, staff evacuated

MORE than 15 schools across Bengaluru received bomb threats through anonymous emails on Friday, causing panic among students, parents and school authorities.

The first wave of threats targeted seven schools, including Napel and Vidyashilpa in Basaveshwar Nagar. One of the threatened schools is situated opposite the residence of Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

"I was watching TV, the school opposite my house also got a threat mail. I came here to check," DK Shivakumar told reporters.

Shortly afterwards, several more educational institutions received similar threats via email. Bengaluru Police evacuated students and staff from the schools as a safety precaution.

Despite indications that the bomb threats may be hoaxes, police are conducting thorough searches of the premises with the help of Bomb Disposal Squads. They have not yet confirmed the presence of any bombs at any of the schools.

The Bengaluru Police Commissioner said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "Certain schools in Bengaluru city have received emails today morning indicating 'bomb threat'. Anti-sabotage and bomb detection squads have been pressed into service to verify and ascertain. The calls seem to be a hoax. Even then, all efforts will be made to trace the culprits."

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed police to investigate the matter. “Security measures have been taken, and parents need not panic. I have instructed the police to inspect the schools and enhance security. A preliminary report has been received from the police department,’ he said.

Last year, many private schools in Bengaluru received similar kinds of email threats, but they all turned out to be hoaxes.