Phoenix police station and Cornubia 'bomb scare' a hoax

Cornubia Mall in Durban. Picture: Mphathi Nxumalo

Cornubia Mall in Durban. Picture: Mphathi Nxumalo

Published Jul 12, 2018

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* Story has been updated

DURBAN - THE Phoenix Police Station has become the latest subject of a hoax reporting an alleged bomb scare in the city.

The police station was evacuated around 3pm on Thursday, but it was found to be a hoax. 

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed there was no explosive device found at the police station. 

Earlier, the Cornubia Mall 'bomb scare' was a hoax and there was no explosive device found, centre management confirmed on Thursday.

Customers and staff had been evacuated from the building on Thursday morning after the alleged discovery of a suspicious device.

The SAPS explosives unit was called to the scene as workers and customers milled around.

Lara Gracie, the general manager for the Cornubia Mall, said there was no explosive device found.

“No device was found at the Woolworths store or anywhere else at the shopping mall. The police did a full security sweep and nothing suspicious was found,” she said.

The Verulam Police Station received an anonymous tip-off about a bomb on Thursday morning and the police acted on it, Gracie said.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo confirmed it was a hoax.

Kirsten Hewett, a Woolworths spokesperson also confirmed the incident was a hoax.  

“Cornubia Mall in Durban was evacuated earlier today due to SAPS receiving a tipoff about a potential suspicious device being placed in our store. As a precautionary measure, we evacuated our store, along with all the other stores in the mall, to ensure the safety of our people and our customers. Authorities investigated and did not find anything suspicious. The mall and our store have been reopened for trade," she said.

Hewett said the company took the incidents "extremely seriously" and were doing all that was possible to ensure the safety of customers and staff. 

The entire building was evacuated. The bomb scare is just one of many that has gripped Durban in the past week, with the first alleged explosive devices discovered at a Woolies store in Gateway and the Pavillion on Wednesday last week. Another device was discovered near the Durban July precinct, placed underneath a car.

Cornubia Mall in Durban. Video: Mphathi Nxumalo

Meanwhile, workers at the mall said they were shocked by the and revealed how they were evacuated.

A worker who wished to remain anonymous said: "We were in the store and people began screaming to evacuate. Many people were already standing outside. We were told later that this was a bomb scare."

DAILY NEWS

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