Over 40 Delhi schools receive bomb threats; students, staff evacuated

New Delhi: More than 40 schools in Delhi, including DPS RK Puram and GD Goenka School in Paschim Vihar, received bomb threats via email on Monday morning, triggering a swift evacuation of students and staff, according to the authorities.

The threats disrupted the peak morning hours as school buses arrived, parents dropped off children, and staff prepared for the day.

The Delhi Fire Department received the first alert from GD Goenka School at 6:15 a.m., followed by a second call from DPS RK Puram at 7:06 a.m.

Emergency response teams, including bomb detection squads, dog units, and local police, were immediately dispatched to both campuses. A thorough search operation was conducted, and no suspicious objects were found, a police official confirmed.

Students were sent home as a precautionary measure, and the incident has heightened concerns about security in the city’s educational institutions.

This is not the first instance of such threats disrupting schools in Delhi. In October, an explosion outside a CRPF school in Rohini’s Prashant Vihar caused damage to the school wall, nearby shops, and vehicles.

The next day, another email threatened bomb blasts at all CRPF schools, though this later turned out to be a hoax.

The frequency of such bomb threats has increased, not only in Delhi but across the country, targeting schools, hospitals, and airports.

In response to these recurring incidents, the Delhi High Court last month directed the government to devise a comprehensive action plan, including a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), to manage bomb threats and similar emergencies.

Justice Sanjeev Narula, presiding over a public interest litigation (PIL) on the matter, emphasised the need for a detailed SOP outlining the responsibilities of law enforcement agencies, school management, and municipal authorities to ensure seamless coordination during such emergencies.

The court also recommended establishing a mechanism to redress grievances to address concerns raised by affected parties. The feedback collected through this mechanism would help refine the action plan to address evolving security challenges effectively.

As investigations into the latest threats continue, authorities are focusing on enhancing preparedness to mitigate disruptions caused by such incidents in the future.

IANS