Bomb hoax at HDFC office

MUMBAI, May 12: A bomb threat rolled out of the fax machine at the Housing Development and Finance Corporation HDFC bank at Churchgate ear...

MUMBAI, May 12: A bomb threat rolled out of the fax machine at the Housing Development and Finance Corporation HDFC bank at Churchgate early on Tuesday sending over 225 staffers and over 100 more of another bank rushing out onto the road.

The unsigned message received at 11.30 am said bombs were planted in the premises of all HDFC offices across the state catching the employees who had reported to work as usual unawares, said Vijay Bangare, a senior administrative officer of the HDFC, Churchgate branch.

The six-storeyed building Ramon House, which housed the HDFC is at a stone8217;s throw distance away from Mantralaya, the state secretariat and important offices like the All India Radio, the Life Insurance Corporation of India and the General Insurance Office. However, a special Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad accompanied by two sniffer dogs which searched the premise found nothing amiss.

The building, which also housed office of Credit Agricole Indosuez Bank, was evacuated immediately. 8220;There was amad rush to vacate the building. It was a scene of stampede with hundreds of people running for their safety,8221; said a bystander.

Anxious and sweat through the afternoon sun, the HDFC employees were seen answering queries from curious onlookers and friends on cell phones. According to Bangare, all six branches of the HDFC in Mumbai had been evacuated.

The message had threatened that the bombs would go off between 2 and 3 pm, said Inspector A P Gonke of the bomb squad. His team swung into action around 1 pm, and after an exhaustive search lasting two hours, confirmed that it was a hoax. However the staff were allowed to enter the premise only after 3 pm.

Some staffers of the Indosuez bank, however, did not wait for the green signal by the squad and carried on their clearing work sitting on the sidewalks, according to Viraf Ghyara, Manager HRD. Moreover, it was not the first instance of a bomb scare, he added. 8220;There was a similar threat almost nine months back.8221; Added Nilufer Elavia, officer withHDFC, 8220;This is the third such ordeal we have faced in the last two years.8221;