Day after Delhi blast, school near explosion site gets hoax bomb threat

A private school in Delhi's Rohini, located within one kilometre of the site of a low-intensity blast in Prashant Vihar, received a bomb threat via email on Friday, Delhi Fire Service officials said.

The threat was later declared a hoax after a thorough search in the school premises, they said.

According to an official, a call was received from the Delhi Police about the bomb threat email at Venkateshwar Global School at 10.57 am.

The school is located around one kilometre from the site where the low-intensity blast took place on Thursday.

A team of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) immediately reached the spot. Police, bomb disposal squad, dog squad, along with DFS personnel checked and searched the entire premises of the school, the officer said.

No suspicious object was found and the threat was declared a hoax, the officer added.

School authorities informed the parents for early dispersal of the students and requested them to pick up their wards by 11 am.

"The situation is well under control. There's no need to panic," a message from the school sent to the parents said.

Principal of VGS, Dr Namita Singhal said that the school received a bomb threat on its official email.

"After we received the email, we have dispersed all the students and staff," she said.

Rati Awasthi, who's 12-year-old daughter studies in class VII, said, "We are deeply concerned about the current situation in the city. How can we feel confident about our children's safety?"

She said just yesterday, a bomb blast occurred in Prashant Vihar, barely 1 kilometers away from the school, and today, the school itself has received a bomb threat.

"As soon as I received the message from the school regarding the bomb threat, I went blank and immediately reached there," she said.

She further said that she will be in constant fear even after sending her child to the school.

"I cannot put his studies on hold but then such news scares me," Awasthi said.

Police have launched an investigation into the matter, the officer said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR regarding the explosion that took place on Thursday near a cinema hall in Rohini, officials said.

The low-intensity blast that occurred nearly 40 days after an explosion that took place at a CRPF school in the same area leaving one person injured and triggered panic among residents.

A case under section 326(g) (mischief with severe consequences to public safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 3 of the Explosive Substance Act has been registered at the Prashant Vihar police station, police said.

The case has been registered against unidentified people and efforts are underway to arrest the accused who dumped or planted the explosive material at the site, they said.