Delhi airport and several hospitals in the national capital were the targets of bomb threats via email on Sunday, triggering a swift response from authorities.
According to fire officials, the Burari Hospital was the first to report the bomb threat at 3:15 pm. Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) M K Meena stated, “An email was received at Burari Hospital regarding a bomb threat. Local police, bomb squad, dog squad were rushed to the spot. Teams are checking the hospital. Nothing suspicious has been found yet.”
Shortly after, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital received a similar threat around 4:26 pm. “Soon after the call, we immediately pressed two fire engines at both the locations. Our teams are still there as the search operation is going on,” said a Delhi fire services official.
A total of eight hospitals, including GTB Hospital, DDU Hospital, Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, Burari Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, and Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital, reported bomb threats to the police.
The Delhi fire services chief reported that a bomb threat call was received regarding the Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 6:15 pm, prompting the dispatch of fire tenders to the scene.
This incident follows a recent spate of similar threats in Delhi and Ahmedabad. Just days ago, over 130 schools across Delhi-NCR received identical emails alleging the presence of explosives on their premises, leading to widespread panic and evacuations.
The Delhi Police, in collaboration with Russian mailing service company Mail.ru via Interpol, is working to trace the exact source of the emails. An FIR has been registered against unknown persons for creating mass panic and disturbing public order.
In response to the hoax bomb threats, the Union home ministry has called for the development of a detailed protocol and standard operation procedures (SOP) to handle such situations. The ministry emphasized the importance of enhancing security measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras and regular monitoring of emails in schools, to prevent unnecessary panic due to misinformation.
