Bomb threat at Xinmin Secondary School prompts morning evacuation, normal lessons have resumed after no suspicious items found
Students and staff at Xinmin Secondary School in Hougang were evacuated on Thursday morning (13 Aug) after the school received a bomb threat.
The school said it was alerted to the threat and immediately activated its evacuation procedures at around 8.28am.
Source: Google Maps
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) told MS News that a 15-year-old teenager has been arrested in relation to the case.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Police searched school premises, no suspicious items found
In a message to parents and guardians, the school said the police conducted a “thorough search” of its premises following the threat, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
“No suspicious items were found,” it said.
Speaking to MS News, Mr Tan Soon Hui, Principal of Xinmin Secondary School, confirmed that all students and staff were accounted for.
“The Police and school personnel conducted a thorough search of the school premises and did not find any suspicious items,” he said. “Following that, students and staff returned to class, and the regular timetable resumed.”
He also said that students whose weighted assessments were disrupted by the incident will sit for make-up sessions at a later date.
Source: Xinmin Secondary School – Leading Hearts, Leading Minds on Facebook
Parent says students were kept safe
A parent of a Secondary 3 student told ST that she received the school’s message through Parents Gateway at around 10am.
The app was developed by the Ministry of Education and GovTech, allowing parents and guardians to receive announcements and updates from their children’s schools.
The parent was not particularly worried after receiving the message.
This is because the school had reassured parents that evacuation and police checks had been completed.
“It was a very serious matter to the school,” she said.
“They kept the students safe by evacuating them to the field quickly.”
The school has since resumed normal operations.
Investigations ongoing
The SPF told MS News that communicating false information of a harmful thing carries a jail term of up to seven years, a fine which may extend to S$50,000, or both.
In a statement, SPF added: “The police take all security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who intentionally communicate false information on bomb threats.”
Meanwhile, school principal Mr Tan said that “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.”
Also read: Man arrested for allegedly making 2 fake bomb threats involving Parliament House & HTX premises
Man arrested for allegedly making 2 fake bomb threats involving Parliament House & HTX premises
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Featured image from Xinmin Secondary School – Leading Hearts, Leading Minds on Facebook.
