NEW DELHI: At least 40 schools in Delhi received bomb threats via email on Monday, with the sender demanding $30,000 in exchange for not detonating explosives planted inside the buildings, according to ANI news agency. In response, local police launched initial searches across the school premises to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The bomb threats come amid a growing pattern this year, with schools, railway stations, and airports across India being targeted by hundreds of similar hoaxes. Government data revealed that between the start of the year and mid-November, Indian airlines and airports had received 999 hoax bomb threats. During this period, 12 individuals were arrested in connection with these threats.
On Sunday evening, two schools in Delhi received emails stating that multiple bombs had been planted in their buildings and would be detonated unless a ransom of $30,000 was paid. Following this, several other schools in the city received similar threats on Monday morning, prompting school authorities to contact parents and advise them to pick up their children for the day.
Parents were seen outside several schools, collecting their children as police conducted thorough checks for suspicious items on the premises.
Authorities have not yet provided further comments on the situation. However, similar incidents in the past, such as a wave of bomb threat emails targeting over 50 schools in Delhi and Noida in May, turned out to be hoaxes.
This latest scare adds to the growing concern over bomb threats in India, highlighting the ongoing challenge of addressing such hoaxes and ensuring public safety.
