Bomb threats prompt evacuations and broadcast interruptions at European TV stations
Hoax bomb threats containing a "clock is ticking" warning were sent to several European broadcasters on Friday, leading to evacuations and temporary suspension of programming, but no explosives were found.
Bomb threats warning "the clock is ticking" were emailed to multiple European television broadcasters on Friday, triggering evacuations and the suspension of regular programming. Irish public service channel RTE replaced its shows with music and pre-recorded messages for up to three hours, while Britain's Sky, Bulgaria's Nova TV and other stations also halted transmissions while police conducted safety sweeps.
No explosive devices were discovered at any of the sites. Police cleared Nova's Sofia newsroom after a brief evacuation, and RTE's campus was inspected for more than three hours before staff returned to work.
The threats followed a recent series of hoax bomb warnings that disrupted passenger flights between Serbia, Finland, Spain and other destinations, prompting diversions and emergency landings despite the absence of any bombs.
One email received by RTE and Nova was signed "Mikhail Andropov" and claimed the sender was a leader of a group behind the recent plane hoaxes. The message warned that an explosive device would detonate in 45 minutes and suggested further attacks could follow.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said security agencies were still assessing whether the threats were isolated or part of a coordinated campaign. > "It just illustrates how relatively simple it can be to cause disruption and to undermine the normal operation of society through unconventional activities of this kind, which are designed to cause disruption, designed to cause fear and anxiety," Martin told RTE radio after programming resumed from an outside broadcast unit. He urged the public to remain calm.