Police station evacuated for hours after hoax bomb threat in Mpumalanga

The Nelspruit police station in Mpumalanga was temporarily evacuated on Friday night after a bomb threat incident.

Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said information was received from a private security company, claiming that a bomb had been planted in the police station.

“The police are investigating a bomb threat incident. It is alleged that a member from the explosive unit received information from a Polsec member at 7pm (on Friday) evening about a bomb that was allegedly planted in Nelspruit police station,” said Ndubane.

“All role players were summoned to the station, including the K9 unit. The members were evacuated from the building, and services were disturbed.”

Ndubane said a thorough search was conducted by police explosives and K9 units.

“After the search, nothing was found, and the investigation is ongoing regarding where the call emanated from,” she said.

Services at Nelspruit police station were resumed at around 9pm.

Last year, IOL reported that Public Servants Association (PSA) was demanding a police report detailing that the Durban Magistrate’s Court is safe and their members could continue to work. This was after a bomb threat in July, in a building close to the Durban central police station.

At the time, KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the explosives and K9 units of the police were conducting a precautionary search and sweeping at the court.

“This is after an unknown person called the court and announced that there was a bomb, which he said would go off at 10.30am,” Netshiunda said.

When the Sunday Tribune arrived at the court, the public had been evacuated, the gates were closed at the court entrance and people were standing outside. Others were leaving and warning people going towards the court building that there was a bomb.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL