A wave of bomb threat emails sent to multiple schools in Ahmedabad on Wednesday triggered widespread panic, leading to mass evacuations and chaotic traffic as frantic parents rushed to ensure their children's safety.
Chaos and Evacuations Across the City
The alarming situation unfolded in the morning when several schools in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar received threatening emails. Thirty-one schools across the two cities were impacted by the threats. Institutions like the Vejalpur-based Zydus School of Excellence and Udgam School for Children were among those targeted. Upon receiving the threats, school administrations immediately sprang into action, informing the police and initiating emergency evacuation protocols.
Classrooms were swiftly emptied, with students being moved to safer areas like playgrounds. Parents were urgently contacted and asked to pick up their children. The domino effect was significant. Many schools that had not received any threat email also decided to send children home as a precautionary measure, leading to a city-wide shutdown of educational institutions for the afternoon shift.
Parental Panic and Traffic Gridlock
The news of the bomb threats spread rapidly through WhatsApp groups and phone calls, sending parents into a frenzy. The simultaneous rush of vehicles towards various school campuses caused severe traffic snarls around the affected areas, further heightening anxiety and delaying parents from reaching their children.
Rakesh Patel, a parent from St. Xavier's Loyola School, recounted, "I had just reached my office when I saw the message in the WhatsApp group. I immediately headed to the school around 11:30 am but faced major traffic jams." Another parent, Rekha Savaliya from South Bopal, whose son studies at Anand Niketan School, stated that although her child's school was not initially on the threat list, she soon received a call from the administration to take him home.
School Responses and Ongoing Situation
School principals described the tense moments following the threats. Mrugen Shah, principal of Prakash School, mentioned that examinations were underway when the threat was received. "We immediately evacuated the school, shifted all students to the playground, and informed parents," he said. Manan Choksi, trustee of Udgam School for Children, confirmed that both Udgam and Zebar School received the threatening emails around 10 am, prompting immediate alerts to police and parents.
The police have launched a full investigation into the source of the hoax emails. While the threats were deemed non-credible after preliminary checks, the incident exposed vulnerabilities and caused significant disruption to the academic schedule and city life. Authorities are now reviewing security protocols for educational institutions to prevent similar panic in the future.
