SINGAPORE, Aug 13 — Classes at Xinmin Secondary School in Hougang resumed today after students and staff were evacuated following a bomb threat, with police later finding no suspicious items during a search of the premises.
The Straits Times reported that police were alerted to the potential threat at about 8.20am, while the school said it activated its evacuation procedures at 8.28am after being alerted to the threat.
“The police conducted a thorough search of our premises, and no suspicious items were found,” the school said in a message to parents and guardians, adding that all students and staff were accounted for.
The school said students had returned to their classrooms and the regular timetable had resumed.
Police confirmed that they had conducted a thorough check of the school and found no suspicious items.
The incident is being investigated as a case of communicating false information of a harmful thing, police said.
A person convicted of the offence may be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$50,000 (RM159,600), or both.
A Secondary 3 student’s parent, who declined to be named, said she received the school’s message through the Parents Gateway app at around 10am.
Parents Gateway, developed by the Ministry of Education and GovTech, allows parents and guardians to receive school announcements.
The parent said she was not worried after receiving the message because the school had assured 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.
It was not immediately known how the bomb threat was delivered or how long the disruption lasted, while The Straits Times reported that the school and Ministry of Education had been contacted for more information.
