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Bomb scare descends on schools in Far East, turning out to be false alarm

Studies have resumed, according to the local authorities

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Law enforcement officers have concluded security sweeps at schools in Vladivostok, Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, and Komsomolsk-on-Amur after reports came in that bombs had been planted at the educational facilities. In the end, the reports turned out to be false alarms, the city authorities and the press services of the regional Interior Ministry’s directorates told journalists on Monday.

On Monday morning, educational facilities and police in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Blagoveshchensk, Ussuriisk and Birobidzhan received bomb threats, disrupting the functioning of the educational institutions.

"Emergency response teams have wrapped up an examination of the Vladivostok schools following the bomb reports. The Civil Defense and Emergency Management Directorate reported that the information about the explosive devices there turned out to be negative in all cases, and schools went back to work at all locations," the Vladivostok administration stated.

According to the Blagoveshchensk administration, the emergency response services have wrapped up work at the city’s educational institutions. "Canine units inspected all the rooms and no dangerous objects were found," the administration reported on its website. The schools’ administrations worked under set instructions, and children were evacuated from schools immediately. Pupils were sent to entrances in neighboring houses, shops and pre-school facilities located nearby. In addition, buses were gotten ready. The schools’ evening shift will be carried out according to schedule.

The Russian Interior Ministry’s Directorate for the Khabarovsk Region told TASS that the inspection of the facilities was completed, and that the bomb threat report turned out to be a false alarm. In Khabarovsk, not only did public schools receive bomb threats, so did universities. Hundreds of students were evacuated. The Khabarovsk administration reported that lessons were cancelled in most schools where evacuations had been conducted.

A security inspection at educational institutions in Birobidzhan continues.