Phone call threatening to blow up school triggers panic

NEW DELHI: An anonymous phone call threatening to blow up a school in west Delhi today triggered panic forcing the evacuation of students and staff from its premises, but it later turned to be a hoax.

The call was received at the Guru Nanak Public School at around 8:30 am, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said told reporters.

The students and staff were immediately evacuated from the premises.

Bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs were rushed to the school which carried out searches in the premises but did not find any explosive material, he said.

"We have declared the call a hoax and are trying to trace the caller," he said.

This is the 60th bomb hoax call received by people and police in the national capital this year.

Rumours about a possible terror strike on Delhi schools had yesterday created flutter in the city yesterday forcing some of them to close down.

A private school in Vasant Vihar of south Delhi got a threat call on Wednesday evening. The caller had claimed that other schools here would be targeted soon.

Delhi Police have already stepped up security near schools in the capital and asked authorities to park school buses a little away from the premises.

"There is nothing to panic. These are pranks. But we are not taking any chance. We are on vigil," a top Delhi Police official said.