Bomb scare causes panic in Sharjah community

Sharjah - The police evacuated the area and blocked nearby roads.

A bomb scare sent residents of Sharjah's Al Mahatta area into panic mode late on Sunday. A "mysterious" briefcase was found abandoned near the Dubai Commercial Bank building on the King Abdul Aziz Road.

After residents called the police around 9.50pm about the "briefcase with a bomb in it" outside a building, the police evacuated the immediate area and blocked the roads leading to the bank.

Officers from the police's explosives unit, Criminal Investigation Department and forensics team rushed to the spot along with the Sharjah Civil Defence. The teams combed the area for explosives and declared the call as hoax.

The police examined the briefcase and found books, documents and some personal things inside. The police have concluded that some resident forgot the briefcase outside the building.

Um Yousuf, who lives in the area, said she panicked after spotting a large number of police vehicles in the neighbourhood. She said the police told her not to enter her building "for her own safety". "I was scared after someone told me the police were searching for a bomb," she said.

Another resident, Adil Ahmed, said he has spotted the briefcase on Sunday morning, but "never thought it contained a bomb".

Later, when residents realised that no one had taken the briefcase, they called the police.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah