Andhra Pradesh: Sriharikota Space Centre receives hoax bomb threat

Tirupati, June 16: India’s spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh received a bomb threat call on Monday, triggering a flurry of activity among security agencies.

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Security staff at the high-security Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR) and the Tirupati district police were put on high alert after receiving a bomb threat call targeting the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facility.

As per reports, the call was reportedly made around midnight to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Centre in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 

This led to a large-scale search in and around the SHAR centre. CISF and police teams searched the SHAR centre and nearby areas, while the Indian Coast Guard carried out a search along the coast. The SHAR employees' colony near the facility was also checked. Senior district police officers led the search. 

After a detailed investigation, the call was confirmed to be a hoax.

It is worth mentioning that SDSC SHAR is one of ISRO’s main centres with top-class launch facilities and supports both Indian and international missions involving satellites and rockets for remote sensing, communication, navigation, and science. 

According to ISRO, it is now considered one of the most well-known spaceports in the world.

This island, shaped like a spindle, is located in Pulicat Lake and lies between the Buckingham Canal to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. It was chosen in 1969 as the site for India’s rocket launch station and became operational in 1971. Sriharikota covers about 175 square kilometers and has a 50-kilometer-long coastline.