UPDATE: Bank declared safe by police
FOURWAYS - There have been reports of a bomb scare at a local shopping mall.
UPDATE: The police are now allowing people back into the bank after conducting their search and declaring the building safe.
Police Station Commander of Douglasdale SAPS, Brigadier Lettie Hugo, confirmed the incident.
Hugo said, “There was a bomb threat but it’s negative,” said Brigadier Hugo.
Audrey Nkunzi, marketing manager of Fourways Crossing Mall said, “The Bomb scare took place at the Standard Bank next to Fourways Crossing and is independent of Fourways Crossing. The SAPS confirmed it as a false alarm.”
Ross Linstrom, Spokesperson for Standard Bank, said, “We closed the branch for today (Thursday) for the safety of our staff and customers, but we will be operating as usual tomorrow (19 August).”
Linstrom added that police were still investigating the issue and declined to speculate on the source of the threat.
“We can’t comment on the source of the threat, but would like to apologise to our customers for the inconveniences caused,”said Linstrom.
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A customer who was at the bank, Jan Isaac, said, “I was at the foreign exchange desk doing a transaction when the teller told me that I had to leave. I have been waiting for my passport for about one and a half hours now and I have still not received it.”
According to another eyewitness at the scene, a woman was heard saying that there were three calls made to the bank, however, this can not be confirmed yet.
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UPDATE: According to our journalist at the scene, a thwarting call was made to emergency services by a female employee from the store.
No one has been injured however paramedics and police officials are at the scene.
INITIAL REPORT: We have received reports of a bomb scare at the Standard Bank branch at the Fourways Crossing shopping mall.
Further details remain unclear at this stage, updates will follow as more information becomes available.
So there's a bomb scare at standard bank, Fourways crossing branch.
— That Girl Jess! (@JessMagagane) August 18, 2016
