Authorities say the threats appear to be a hoax, adding that nothing was found during a search of the schools.

Thousands of students from nearly 100 schools in and around India’s capital Delhi were evacuated on Wednesday after fake bomb threats were emailed to them, police said, adding that “nothing objectionable” was found during searches of the schools.

Authorities said the schools in Delhi and the adjoining suburb of Noida received the threatening email, triggering panic among parents and prompting schools to send students home.

The hoax affected thousands of schoolchildren from grades 1 to 12.

Television visuals showed parents standing outside the gates of schools across the region waiting to pick up children, as police teams, dog squads, and bomb disposal squads checked the premises.

“Delhi Police has conducted a thorough check of all such schools as per protocol...It appears that these calls seem to be hoax,” Delhi Police said in a statement.

Police did not release any further details but said they have traced the origin of the threat emails and an investigation is underway.

The federal home ministry and Delhi Police have asked people to stay calm. Security agencies are taking “all necessary steps”, the ministry said on X.

Delhi Education Minister Atishi, who uses only one name, also appealed to people not to panic, adding that school authorities would be in touch with parents wherever needed. He said the government was constantly monitoring the situation.

Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the constitutional head of the state, said schools in the capital and neighbouring suburbs that received the bomb threat have been cordoned off as search operations are being carried out.

“Dog squads and bomb disposal units are also working,” he told local media. “I want to assure the people of Delhi that Delhi Police is fully prepared and we will try to prevent any untoward incident from happening.”

In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Saxena asked parents not to panic and to co-operate with the administration “in ensuring safety of schools and the children”.

Some schools that were not among the recipients of the email also sent messages to parents to reassure them about the safety of their children.

A senior Delhi Police official told reporters that some hospitals in the capital had also received similar letters on Tuesday.

Suman Nalwa, a public relations officer with the police, said that it seemed “someone had done this to create panic”. She told ANI news agency that “nothing untoward has been found so far.”

Similar bomb threats have been sent to schools in New Delhi in the past but turned out to be hoaxes.