Classes at Xinmin Secondary School resume after students and staff evacuated following bomb threat
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Police vehicles parked at Xinmin Secondary School following a bomb threat on Aug 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SINGAPORE – Students and staff of Xinmin Secondary School in Hougang were evacuated on the morning of Aug 13 following a bomb threat.
In a message to parents and guardians, the school said it was alerted to the threat and immediately activated its evacuation procedures at 8.28am.
“The police conducted a thorough search of our premises, and no suspicious items were found,” it said, adding that all students and staff were accounted for.
The students have returned to their classrooms, and the regular timetable has resumed, the school said.
It is not known how the bomb threat was delivered to the school or how long the disruption lasted.
In reply to queries from The Straits Times, the police said they were alerted to the potential bomb threat at around 8.20am.
They confirmed that a thorough check of the school’s premises was conducted and that no suspicious items were found.
The police said they are investigating the incident as a case of communicating false information of a harmful thing.
Under Singapore’s laws, those found guilty of this offence may be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to $50,000, or both.
A parent of a Secondary 3 student, who declined to be named, said she received the message via the Parents Gateway app at around 10am.
Parents Gateway, developed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and GovTech, gives parents and guardians access to school announcements.
The parent said she did not feel worried when she received the message, as the school had reassured parents that the evacuation and checks had been completed.
“It was a very serious matter for the school. They kept the students safe by evacuating them to the field quickly,” she said.
In response to queries from ST, Xinmin’s principal Tan Soon Hui said the school is working closely with the police on the investigations into the incident.
“The safety and well-being of all students and staff remain the school’s utmost priority. The school will continue to support the well-being of our students and staff and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to respond to emergencies.”
