Johannesburg - A police squad was sweeping through the evacuated building of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements on Monday morning following a bomb scare.
“Following a tip-off received by the police that there is bomb in the Johannesburg regional office of the Department of Human Settlements, an evacuation and sweeping of the building by the bomb squad is currently under way,” said department’s spokesman Motsamai Motlhaolwa.
The building is situated at corner Harrison and Pritchard Street in the Johannesburg CBD.
Motlhaolwa said the bomb squad evacuated everyone after receiving a tip-off about a bomb in the building.
MEC Jacob Mamabolo said the police were handling the matter and called on employees to remain calm.
“I know it must be traumatic and scary for our staff in that building as this has never happened before. We know that they are panicking but I’m pleading with them to evacuate calmly and I assure them that the police are handling this situation well to get people out as safely and as quickly as possible,” Mamabolo said.
“Our prayer is that this is only a scare and that there is no explosive device in that building.”
ANA