Thessaloniki courthouse evacuated after bomb threat proves a hoax
A phone call warning of explosives at the Thessaloniki Courthouse triggered a swift evacuation on Wednesday morning, before police declared the threat a hoax.
An anonymous caller telephoned an office at the Thessaloniki Courthouse on Wednesday morning and warned that six kilograms of explosive material had been placed in the building's underground car park. The call triggered an immediate, full evacuation of the courthouse. Police and a bomb disposal unit searched the building and the car park, found nothing, and declared the call a hoax, according to Naftemporiki, NewsIT and News247.
Naftemporiki, citing the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, said the unidentified caller rang an office of the courts at around 10:20am. News247, citing the news website thestival.gr, gave a more detailed account, saying the man, who spoke clear Greek, called the office of a court employee on the second floor of the building at 10:05am and repeated his claim that explosives had been left in the underground car park.
Court staff activated the building's security protocols immediately after the call was received. Loudspeakers across the courthouse told everyone inside to leave at once: "Please evacuate the courthouse according to the instructions of the Hellenic Police," the announcement said, according to Naftemporiki and NewsIT. Automatic magnetic doors on the ground floor opened to speed people out of the building, and the evacuation of the entire courthouse was completed within seven minutes, News247 reported.
Large numbers of police officers and a bomb disposal unit with specially trained dogs arrived at the scene shortly afterwards, News247 reported. Officers carried out thorough checks of the underground parking areas used by judges and lawyers, and then searched every other part of the courthouse, but found no explosive device.
The alarm was lifted shortly after 11:30am, and the courthouse resumed normal operations, News247 reported.
What we know
- A caller told a Thessaloniki Courthouse office that six kilograms of explosives had been placed in the building's underground car park.
- The courthouse was fully evacuated within seven minutes, News247 reported.
- A bomb disposal unit with trained dogs searched the building and underground parking areas; no explosive device was found.
- Police declared the call a hoax and the alarm was lifted shortly after 11:30am; the courthouse resumed normal operations.
Why it matters for Europe
The Thessaloniki Courthouse is one of the main judicial buildings for northern Greece, hearing criminal and civil cases for the wider region. Wednesday's alert tested the evacuation arrangements agreed between court staff and the Hellenic Police: loudspeaker announcements and automatically opening doors helped clear the entire building in seven minutes, and a bomb disposal unit with trained dogs then searched the underground parking areas and the rest of the courthouse before officers confirmed there was no device. The building was closed to staff, lawyers and members of the public until the search was finished and the alarm was lifted.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Naftemporiki: Θεσσαλονίκη: Συναγερμός έπειτα από απειλή για βόμβα στο Δικαστικό Μέγαρο
- NewsIT: Θεσσαλονίκη: Φάρσα το τηλεφώνημα για βόμβα στο Δικαστικό Μέγαρο
- Proto Thema: Λήξη συναγερμού στο Δικαστικό Μέγαρο Θεσσαλονίκης, φάρσα το τηλεφώνημα για βόμβα
- News247: Φάρσα το τηλεφώνημα για βόμβα στο Δικαστικό Μέγαρο Θεσσαλονίκης
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Questions and answers
- What happened at the Thessaloniki Courthouse?
- An anonymous caller said six kilograms of explosives had been placed in the building's underground car park, triggering a full evacuation on Wednesday morning.
- Was a bomb found?
- No. Police and a bomb disposal unit searched the building and the underground parking areas and found no explosive device; the call was declared a hoax.
- How long did the evacuation and alert last?
- The building was evacuated in about seven minutes, and the alarm was lifted shortly after 11:30am, when courts resumed normal operations.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.