Mandi medical college evacuated after bomb threat ahead of PM visit

A bomb threat sent via an email to Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Nerchowk in Mandi district, led to panic today just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Kangra for an aerial survey of the rain-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh. The medical college and hospital premises were immediately evacuated following the email threat.

SDM, Balh, Samritika Negi said that the threatening email was received in the morning and the medical college authorities immediately informed the local police and the district administration. “The safety of patients, medical staff and general public is our top priority. The college premises was evacuated swiftly and a search operation was launched,” she added.

Dr Rajneesh, Medical Superintendent of the medical college, told The Tribune that the health services were disrupted from 10.45 am till 3.50 pm when the police gave the clearance that the building was safe for the resumption of medical services. “The medical college authorities informed the police and the district administration about the threatening email so that preventive measures could be taken to ensure public safety,” he added.

Mandi SP Sakshi Verma said that the college premises was thoroughly searched but no suspicious object was found. Police teams, bomb disposal squads and sniffer dog units were deployed for a thorough search of the college premises, including hospital wards, outpatient departments, administrative offices and student hostels. Emergency services at the hospital were temporarily suspended during the search operation as a precautionary measure. Cybercrime experts have been brought in to trace the origin of the threatening email.

The incident caused significant anxiety among the hospital staff, patients and their attendants, many of whom were seen waiting outside the college premises for updates. However, no injury to any person or untoward incident was reported.